Becks Finally Makes Debut

So if you didn't catch it, on Thursday David Beckham finally made his long awaited debut in a 1-0 loss to DC United. With flash bulbs going off across the stadium, Beckham patiently waited for Quavas Kirk to trot to the sideline to be replaced with the LA Galaxy down a man, down 1-0, and only 18 minutes left. The perfect fairy tale story was being set up...Becks trots onto the field instantly taking over the game and delivering a magical performance to lead the Galaxy to a come from behind victory.

But that wasn't quite the way it turned out. Nonetheless, it was an entertaining affair with one moment of brilliance from Beckham as he picked out Landon Donovan with a pass who was then taken out by the DC goalkeeper, Troy Perkins. Whether or not it was a penalty is still up for debate, but it was a pass few others in the MLS could have made.

I was able to catch the ESPN broadcast (for my Finnish readers that are unaware, ESPN is the major sports broadcaster in the US), and as a football purist was left slightly disgusted. Nearly 2/3rds of the commentary and 2/3rds of video that came through my computer were of David Beckham, tying his shoes, going to warm up, sitting back down on the bench and then repeating the process. And then in on ESPN's highlight show the day after, they didn't offer a single highlight from the game aside from Beckham.

Now trust me I'm not trying to belittle what David Beckham means to the MLS. I understand it fully, in fact. Rarely, do football highlights or people make the news, but on a daily basis now Beckham and subsequently MLS pop up. He's on been on culture and fashion shows, and out-right anti-football journalists (of which there are many in the US, not quite sure what they are so afraid of) have even payed some attention. It really is amazing how much exposure the MLS received because of David before he had even stepped on a pitch.

My problem lays with the incessant need to constantly have a camera on him while there is some good football beig played. DC United's Bobby Boswell, who I have spent time playing with and against, has put it best. (this is a link to his blog where you can read, and if you have the time, browse around a bit. It really is a hilarious blog giving you insights into the DC United organization and players that you wouldn't find anywhere else). But he's right- all those that watched the ESPN highlight show found out was that Beckham played! Yes, of course, get some camera time on David because that's what the non-football fans want to see, but why not throw in some highlights from the actual game in which there was some fantastic stuff.

Now, I personally believe Beckham will be a hit. He largely already is a hit in the US. In fact, there's no one in the US sporting world that can garner attention like Beckham can, and that's quite a statement considering the loads of talent in the US in other sports. But you don't see Kobe Bryant or LeBron James hounded by paparazzi, featured on fashion and Hollywood shows like E!. But David Beckham can come into a world where football is probably 4th on the list as concerns professional sports, and yet grab more attention then any other athlete in the US!! Now that is a feat in itself!!

As a side note, Beckham was also seen in the DC club, Play (awesome club, Onnela and Doris should send a representative to take a few notes. For my US readers those are the two bigger clubs here in Rovaniemi) after the match along with teammate Cobi Jones. In fact, Becks and Cobi seemed to have hit it off really well. The two were also seen grabbing coffee from Starbucks before the match, and are always chatting it up on the bench during Galaxy games.

The LA Galaxy's next match is today, and I'm not sure what the verdict will be for Beckham concerning playing time. It's only been 2 days since his last match (granted he only played 18 minutes), but I assume it will depend on how his ankle reacted and then recovered. I can't imagine him not playing, but I do wonder if he will get more time on the field.