Beckham-mania hits L.A. (Soccer superstar generates buzz that NFL never has)

DailyNews.com ^ | Thursday, January 11, 2007

[MinorityRepublican]

WHO knew it would take a world-famous soccer superstar to finally get the passions for professional football roiling through Los Angeles once again?

Of course, we're talking "futbol," as soccer is known in much of the world, and not the National Football League.

Within hours of the announcement that David Beckham - the English soccer superstar known for his singular sartorial style as well as his Spice Girl wife - was joining the L.A. Galaxy, the buzz of excitement across Tinseltown was greater than anything the NFL could have inspired.

This is the biggest sports news to hit Los Angeles since Wayne Gretzky joined the Kings and put hockey on the sports fans' map.

Bigger, actually.

On Thursday, the L.A. coup was the talk of the world.

Beckham might not be the world's greatest technical soccer player, but he's certainly the flashiest.

He's an L.A. natural.

Certainly more natural than an NFL team that no one seems to want that badly, which would explain the on-again off-again interest in locating a team at the L.A. Coliseum. L.A.'s passion for football, the American version, anyhow, seems to have fizzled out since the Raiders and Rams slinked away in 1994.

Maybe it's just as well.

Beckham's arrival, set to take place this summer after his Real Madrid team's season ends, changes the meaning of football in this town.

Soccer is the world's most popular sport and has been soaring in popularity for years, especially in L.A., where everyone from suburbanites to kids whose families emigrated from all over the world have fallen in love with the game.

Yet even as soccer's popularity has risen among boys and girls, professional soccer has not captured the imagination and passions of people like soccer does in Europe and Latin America.

Even the introduction of an L.A. version of one of Mexico's favorite teams, the Chivas, failed to whip up the mainstream support.

But Beckham's arrival in Los Angeles has changed all that in an instant.

[kinoxi]

Soccer still sucks IMO.

[Junior_G]

The only hype surrounding Beckham's arrival is contained in this article. Soccer could only be exciting in countries that don't have NFL football. What an absolute snoozefest that sport is.

[BW2221]

Pele was better than Beckham, but could make soccer a popular spectator sport in the U.S.

My son is 21. He played soccer from age 5 through premier and high school. The only time he watches it is World Cup. He would rather watch baseball now.

It's a tough sell in the States.

[F-117A]

Tell him the Rams have moved to Saint Louis, so if he wants to kick extra points, that where he needs to go!

[new cruelty]

[kinoxi]

They've got 'yutes' to decorate the post game landscape from what I hear.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

....the buzz of excitement across Tinseltown was greater than anything the NFL could have inspired.This is the biggest sports news to hit Los Angeles since Wayne Gretzky joined the Kings and put hockey on the sports fans' map.Bigger, actually. On Thursday, the L.A. coup was the talk of the world...

A lot of hype from the author with absolutely no supporting evidence.

[Pikachu_Dad]

A has been after his choke in the World Cup matches.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Beckham has to be exciting about being in LA. Tons of trampy vain women who have no problem sleeping with married men.

[decal]

"But Beckham's arrival in Los Angeles has changed all that in an instant."

Average attendance for the Galaxy, 1996 to date: 21,892 regular season/22,676 playoffs. The Galaxy is the highest-drawing team in MLS.

This in a county with a population of nearly 10,000,000 with no NFL franchise.

Color me unimpressed. Also color me highly skeptical.

[Farmer Dean]

Like LA is any different from Europe in that respect.

[MinorityRepublican]

The population in LA is now majority Hispanic. Their favorite sports are soccer and baseball, both that are doing very well.

American football just do not appeal to them.

[Let's Roll]

The few foreigners that I know who are in this country legally all started out as major soccer fans. Now, seriously into American football, they openly admit how boring soccer is compared to football.

Soccer promoters can dream on. I don't know when their season is but I guess if they play during Feb, March, April they might get a little traction.

[MinorityRepublican]

The championship game for soccer should be in June, just about when baseball gets going in the States.

[decal]

"What an absolute snoozefest that sport is."

As one of the sportstalk pundits puts it: it's the only sport where getting beat deep on defense is a GOOD thing because of the asinine offsides rule.

[Lancey Howard]

Soccer, lol.

[BigCinBigD]

Soccer is for little boys to fragile for football. Oh, and girls.

[MinorityRepublican]

I never understood the offsides rule. And why don't they get rid of the goalie in order to increase goals?

[bruinbirdman]

Henry Cooper, now there was a Brit I would pay to see.

yitbos