I’ve been writing a lot about David Beckham’s announcement about his desire to stay at AC Milan over at Beckham Groupie. David made the argument that this decision is all about – and only about – the football. The caliber of play is much higher in Europe and the season’s are mush longer. As a result, David is playing better and is in better shape than he ever was at the Galaxy.
“I want to think about football before everything else. I said in a clear manner what I think, I want to stay at Milan because I’ve rediscovered myself as a football player,” David told the press when explaining his decision.
However, the Galaxy has been playing hardball and refusing to let David out if his contract easily. And why not? The Galaxy has way more to lose out of this than David ever will. They’ve built their reputations, their brand, heck, their entire league and sport around his coming to America. For David to get up and go after only 2 years into a 5 year (and $35 million contract) says quite a few things that I don’t think the Galaxy will recover from. It says the Galaxy isn’t good enough for David, it says MLS isn’t good enough for David, it says the Galaxy was wrong when they brought David over. All not good things.
This is where the divide happens: the Galaxy and the MLS are treating David like a brand. A brand to build on, market and invest in. By partnering the Beckham brand with the Galaxy and MLS brand, all three are strengthened. David Beckham is acting like a player. A player that wants what’s best for himself right now.
David isn’t thinking about the long term consequences of this decision – what betraying an entire continent will do to the Beckham brand. The millions of soccer fans who welcomed David here, watched him evolve from an overblown injury-laden over-the-hill import to one of the leading contributors to the Galaxy (and now to Milan). I seriously doubt he’s even considered what this move will do to Victoria’s share of the Beckham dynasty.
I think the Galaxy has every right to get as make this as difficult as possible for David and the Galaxy. They have way more invested in this and have way more to lose.
David needs to grow up, stop thinking like a soccer player and starting thinking of himself as a brand – all the time, not just when he’s selling jerseys or hawking Motorola cell phones and Sharpies. ‘Cause if he is thinking this way, he’s deliberately turning his back on the future of North American soccer and those who are invested in it – and invested in him to make it better, faster. And that’s far sadder to think than whether it’s him just being short-sighted.
I’m not being sarcastic, I am actually confused by the end of your column. Are you saying that if he continues to think of himself as a soccer player he will be turning his back on fans?
Most of the world would think of it as the opposite. In the long run MLS will look worse if they insist that a player, who has “rediscovered” the best of their game somewhere else, insist that they turn their back on that to be a brand or even a spokesperson.
Believe what Beckham said two years ago or not, but it is not uncommon for a person to make a commitment based on their assessment of a situation, and then discover down the road that either that they were wrong or that they or the circumstances have changed…and try to dissolve the arrangement. In this case I personally feel it would be best for both parties.
Diane,
I think so! Honestly, I’m still sorting through this. David is definitely thinking in short term, and what’s best for him as a soccer player, and that would be fine for the “average” player. He wants to play for the best league and be the best player he can be, and I can appreciate that. I think most soccer fans, the Galaxy and the MLS can appreciate that too.
But Beckham is special-they’ve practically built the MLS and the Galaxy around him, even when he spent most of his first season injured and sat the bench, he still brought in fans and numbers. I don’t think the Galaxy was necessarily the “wrong” place for him to be nor was it the wrong decision. Something better has come along. But given the situation under which he came to the MLS – as a brand, as a huge name destined to change the face of North American soccer, and not just as a player who would be good for the Galaxy, I think it’s very shortsighted of him to ask the Galaxy and the MLS to treat him as just a player who wants what best for himself.
I think his loyal fans will understand, as will the many European fans where soccer and the politics of soccer are better understood. But I think the average NA soccer fan is going to be upset.
I believe Beckham to have done what is best for football worldwide, and that is show that Money, contracts and advertising deals isnt at all what football is about. He’s treading a different path than that of many sports stars of today, opting for the good of the sport.
Good move Becks I say