USA / SPAIN: David Beckham is introduced as newest member of the Los Angeles Galaxy football team. Sports, business and Los Angeles communities reaction

Record ID: 334930

  • Title: USA / SPAIN: David Beckham is introduced as newest member of the Los Angeles Galaxy football team. Sports, business and Los Angeles communities reaction
  • Date: 13th January 2007
  • Summary: (AM) LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DAVID BECKHAM PRACTISING AT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER IN LOS ANGELES
  • Embargoed: 28th January 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: People,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVACSFQLL1SXWKE8VU9VE7BMBHVP
  • Story Text: David Beckham spoke to the media in Los Angeles via satellite on Friday (January 12) telling reporters that he realized that making soccer the number one sport in the United States was a long shot, but he hopes to have a major impact nonetheless.
    "I'm not saying that me coming over to the states is going to make soccer the biggest sport in America because that's going to be very difficult to achieve. I'd love to say that would happen bit I believe there are so many other great sports in the U.S. like baseball and basketball and American football and its hard sometimes to compete with some of those that have been around and have the history that they have but soccer has got huge huge potential," Beckham said.
    Beckham's deal is reported to be one of the biggest in global sport with Beckham set to earn more than $250 million over the duration of his contract following the removal of the salary cap in the MLS. Beckham will earn approximately one million dollars a week.
    Team President and former US National Team Player Alexi Lalas was jubilant about his newest player.
    "You don't play for Manchester United and then go to Real Madrid if you can't kick the ball," explained Lalas. "It doesn't matter how good-looking you are or who you're married to or how many pictures you have in the paper, alright? That is a team that, whether it's Real Madrid or Manchester United, that have to win, so his career and the teams that he's played with I think speak for himself, as far as the actual soccer of it."
    LA Galaxy had made public their interest in Beckham who runs a football academy that shares its home with the team and who has close links to the Anschutz Entertainment Group who own the club. Having been first choice in the Real Madrid starting lineup since he moved to Spain, Beckham lost his place following the arrival of Italian coach Fabio Capello. He has only started five of Real's 16 league games this season and was known to be frustrated with his lack of opportunities in the first team.
    The arrival of Beckham, along with his high profile wife, former Spice Girl, Victoria, will definitely change things.
    "It will be interesting, I think for myself," said Kobi Jones, one of the current stars on the Galaxy. "I've been in World Cup so I know what it's like being chased around by the paparazzi. But, I think for a lot of the young players, its going to be very interesting to see how they can handle the situations where getting off the bus and going to training, you have press all around you."
    While Beckham's arrival is sure to create added excitement for the league, veteran Los Angeles television sports anchor Jim Hill believes soccer still has an uphill climb.
    "Young people love to play soccer, but when they get to being a teenager, and a lot of young people start to think about playing basketball, playing football, playing baseball, because quite frankly there's a lot more money involved in it, there's more prestige, there's more publicity there," explained Hill. "So hopefully, this will start to do that. Will it happen? That remains to be seen, it's going to take a lot of hard, it's going to take a lot of time, but there's no better start than David Beckham."
    The business community is also weighing in on the move to bring Beckham stateside. Forbes associate editor Kurt Badenhausen said the deal is good for the sport in the U.S., at least initially.
    "I think short term David Beckham is going to make a huge splash, you're going to be looking at sold out games across the country to see David Beckham play. Long term I don't know how successful it's going to be. The league really needs to improve the quality of play and that includes probably attracting other top names players from outside the United States," said Badenhausen.
    The news of Beckham's signing was met with various levels of interest in Los Angeles.
    "I think it's going to be great for soccer," Chris Shenassa of Los Angeles explained. "It's probably going to be the same thing as when they brought Gretzky from Canada, it just lifted up the whole hockey thing, it's the same thing for soccer, it's going to make soccer much more popular, and hopefully he'll do Galaxy a much better team, hopefully."
    Not everyone though has head of the famous soccer star.
    "David Beckham? No I never heard that name," said Jason, a Los Angeles native who obviously doesn't count himself as a fan of the game.
    Others though believe the Beckhams will have no trouble fitting in the Hollywood scene.
    "Oh my god will they ever," laughed Ameilia Heinle. "I saw them on the news this morning and she had on her big glasses and anyone with glasses that big can definitely live in Los Angeles, so yes."
    Beckham will be joining the Galaxy in summer 2007, upon filling his contract with Real Madrid.
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