[Cuccuccaltefe]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/8820649.stm

[peemovvie]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/8820649.stm

this has been out for a while now, before the world cup began.

should be interesting. imo, he'll provide more highlights than beckham, even if he's lost a step.

[botagozzz]

Figures. LA and NY get the names. Would've been cool if they signed him to a team to boost exposure for some lesser known franchises. Kansas City Wizards maybe? Toronto FC? Houston Dynamo?

[peemovvie]

Figures. LA and NY get the names. Would've been cool if they signed him to a team to boost exposure for some lesser known franchises. Kansas City Wizards maybe? Toronto FC? Houston Dynamo?

he's had a love affair with nyc since the first time he visited. it was the only place he would be going to in the mls.

[Xavier_Spinner_Wheels]

They dont allow handball in the MLS either.

[Qynvtlur]

this has been out for a while now, before the world cup began.

should be interesting. imo, he'll provide more highlights than beckham, even if he's lost a step.

Wow, going out on a limb are you??

Beckham's been 'no news' for quite some time now. Donovan's done a helluva lot more for soccer in this country and in LA than Beckham has. And that ante has gone up quite a bit with Donovan's goal against Algeria...so no, that wasn't much of a limb to go out on.

Beckham's always injured and doesn't show up to root the Galaxy on. When i was at the semis last season, nobody was coming to see Beckham. They were going to see Donovan and the others on the team.

Henry will more than likely boost soccer in the US over anythnig than Beckham has done. Becks & Posh just wanted to be a celeb' in a town that is full of many others worth watching.

[Qynvtlur]

Figures. LA and NY get the names. Would've been cool if they signed him to a team to boost exposure for some lesser known franchises. Kansas City Wizards maybe? Toronto FC? Houston Dynamo?

Other than what Ashy mentioned, one of the biggest reasons why one would want Henry and Becks to end up in a large city is the fact they're not there only to 'score goals' and affect the play on their respective teams, but they're also there to be the goodwill ambassadors to millions of kids in more populous areas than Witchita or KC or any other small city.

With Toronto, that only helps promote Canadian soccer, not US soccer.

Our next generations' best soccer players won't likely come from fly-over cities. If we can grab the attention of kids who'd normally play baseball, basketball, or football. And this all would come in addition to getting a top-name player on the world's stage.

Becks hasn't worked out here in LA. Hopefully Henry will for NY.

[peemovvie]

Wow, going out on a limb are you??

Beckham's been 'no news' for quite some time now. Donovan's done a helluva lot more for soccer in this country and in LA than Beckham has. And that ante has gone up quite a bit with Donovan's goal against Algeria...so no, that wasn't much of a limb to go out on.

Beckham's always injured and doesn't show up to root the Galaxy on. When i was at the semis last season, nobody was coming to see Beckham. They were going to see Donovan and the others on the team.

Henry will more than likely boost soccer in the US over anythnig than Beckham has done. Becks & Posh just wanted to be a celeb' in a town that is full of many others worth watching.

right, henry will certainly be welcomed with as much fan fare as beckham was. beckham wasn't seen as someone who would put the mls to the forefront of american sports consciousness. he wasn't expected to make the country care about the mls and soccer.

any other memes from the 'beckham experiment' that you would like to tote out as your thoughts?

[botagozzz]

Other than what Ashy mentioned, one of the biggest reasons why one would want Henry and Becks to end up in a large city is the fact they're not there only to 'score goals' and affect the play on their respective teams, but they're also there to be the goodwill ambassadors to millions of kids in more populous areas than Witchita or KC or any other small city.

With Toronto, that only helps promote Canadian soccer, not US soccer.

Our next generations' best soccer players won't likely come from fly-over cities. If we can grab the attention of kids who'd normally play baseball, basketball, or football. And this all would come in addition to getting a top-name player on the world's stage.

Becks hasn't worked out here in LA. Hopefully Henry will for NY.

I'd argue that the next US soccer prodigy will come from a secondary market. In the big cities the "traditional" sports have a stranglehold on youth sports. Basketball, Baseball and football dominate NY, LA, Texas... I would figure that MLS and soccer would be able to do more damage with less resources in cities like Kansas City, Denver, Seattle.

[Qynvtlur]

right, henry will certainly be welcomed with as much fan fare as beckham was. beckham wasn't seen as someone who would put the mls to the forefront of american sports consciousness. he wasn't expected to make the country care about the mls and soccer.

any other memes from the 'beckham experiment' that you would like to tote out as your thoughts?

That was part of the rationale given for *why* the Galaxy brought him over here with that fat paycheck and promises of endorsement revenue- that he'd be able to bring soccer (and the MLS) to the next level regarding how it's seen alongside the other more famous sports in this country.

They even had a freaking NBC show about Beckham and Posh moving to LA and made it seem like we were getting the second coming of Gretzky.

You sure you know much about this sport???

[peemovvie]

That was part of the rationale given for *why* the Galaxy brought him over here with that fat paycheck and promises of endorsement revenue- that he'd be able to bring soccer (and the MLS) to the next level regarding how it's seen alongside the other more famous sports in this country.

They even had a freaking NBC show about Beckham and Posh moving to LA and made it seem like we were getting the second coming of Gretzky.

You sure you know much about this sport???

good to know that your inability to comprehend also encompasses sarcasm.

[Qynvtlur]

I'd argue that the next US soccer prodigy will come from a secondary market. In the big cities the "traditional" sports have a stranglehold on youth sports. Basketball, Baseball and football dominate NY, LA, Texas... I would figure that MLS and soccer would be able to do more damage with less resources in cities like Kansas City, Denver, Seattle.

That's exactly why it makes sense for a 'big market' to get a guy recognizable over in Europe as well as here.

That one person could affect a lot more kids in a more populous area where there's also more advertising going on.

And to your point about small markets and 'resources', the MLS has to have a market that's willing to spend money on soccer before it could even bring in a big name or look at affecting kids sports.

LA and NY have markets where they can sell out regular-season games in the MLS. Seattle- only because they have an ownership group that has deeeep pockets- i would think could also try to grab a big name player from overseas.

[botagozzz]

LA and NY have markets where they can sell out regular-season games in the MLS. Seattle- only because they have an ownership group that has deeeep pockets- i would think could also try to grab a big name player from overseas.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/a...r=2009&cc=3888

Want to try that again there, chief?

[Qynvtlur]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/a...r=2009&cc=3888

Want to try that again there, chief?

Maybe you should look at 2008 when LA led the league in attendance. Beckham's appearances helped that attendance number up until his row with Donovan and his reoccurring injuries. Now folks are more excited about Donovan than Beckham.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/a...r=2008&cc=5901

The Sounders were a new team in 2009 with some deeep pockets- as i had already stated. No surprise that they sold out all 22,000 season-ticket packages in 2009.

[botagozzz]

NY Redbulls is a waste of the MLS resources. Yes they have a new home venue, but NY has shown that other sports have the viewers locked up. Bringing top talent to your secondary markets will get the bigger bang for the buck. Its how AFL survived and thrived for many years until they made a poor business decision to put all their eggs in the top markets.