Faked out in Hollywood

Posted by TheYank at 7/20/2009 12:45 PM EDT

I have to admit I'm somewhat bemused by the reaction to David Beckham out in Los Angeles. The fans there seem none too pleased with the way the English star has gone about his business playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy. The New York Times says that last night Beckham "was booed more than cheered during introductions"and booed when the Galaxy's match with AC Milan got underway. One fan even held up a sign that said, "Go Home Fraud." Fraud? And this is in Los Angeles, the "fake" capital of the world? The same city that is cheering Manny Ramirez to the hilt these past few weeks?

So, what exactly is bothering the Galaxy's fans? Well, apparently the Los Angeles fans are annoyed because Beckham now wants to play in Milan rather than LA. Well, duh! What did they think was going to happen? Why did they think Beckham signed to play in Los Angeles at all?

Beckham was never a great player. In fact - and I'm no soccer expert - I think you could safely say that Beckham was never more than 5th or 6th best player on team when he was with Manchester United. He was a decent player on the biggest and best club in Europe, but one that was led by an Irishman and had very few English stars, something the English media didn't care for. Beckham was probably not even the best English player at United (I think Paul Scholes was far better), but he was glamorous and had that rare talent for performing better than anyone those tasks that take place in the most obvious media moments: free kicks.

He wasn't the guy you built a team around, let alone a league. The way the American press talked about him when he first signed with the Galaxy you'd have sworn that he was Pele II (a Hollywood sequel).

Beckham went to Los Angeles because he was always more show business than sportsman. He went to make money while he could. I can't believe that any sports fan could have seen it otherwise. Now he obviously figures that he's milked that for all it's worth he'd like to come back to Europe and maybe rebuild his name and sell some more AC Milan shirts to those who are more fans of stardom than soccer. That the people of Los Angeles are calling Beckham a fraud is more an indication that they never realized what the move to America was all about in the first place.
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Comments:

washwoman wrote:
It's soccer and this is the United States. We don't really care that much.
7/20/2009 1:30 PM EDT

TheYank wrote:
And I understand that. But, it's just about the lead story on the Los Angeles Times' web site, so it's got some play in California.

Having said that, I would be of the same opinion if I was still in America. I mean, I still pay far more attention to baseball than soccer (or any other sport) and I live in Ireland.
7/20/2009 2:36 PM EDT

Ajreaper wrote:
Soccer is certainly growing in the US of that there is no doubt but it is not an "American" game and it is not one we typically do well in internationally so by and large the majority of Americans don't care one way or the other. Yank hit this right on the nail right on the head- if you are a world class soccer player you do not go to play in teh US for anything other then 1) cash and 2) I get to be the big fish in a small pond. Look at it like this- if you are an exceptional football player you'd not head to Canada to play unless- they throw a ton of money at you and there is something within you that craves being the "man" vs. being one of the men.

I will say this I am a high school football coach, I don't much understand the game of soccer nor would I say I am a fan but I found myyself watching the US women play the last few days (game was on at the club but I could have chosen another treadmill and watched something else while I worked out) and was proud of how the US mens team did earlier this summer- I am not a fan but I am warming a bit to it so thats progress in some small way I suppose.
7/20/2009 2:49 PM EDT

TheYank wrote:
Ajreaper,

One aspect of Beckham's move that I omitted, but probably shouldn't have, was that I'm sure that the move to Los Angeles suited his wife very well. She seemed to get a lot more of the star treatment out there than she'd been receiving in Britain or anywhere in Europe. I think she's the marketing genius of the two of them - always keeping their names in the media. I'm sure she is the one who chases down Beckham's big sponsorship deals.

I like your analogy to an American star going to Canada. That's perfect.

The longer I live here the more I sort of appreciate the fact that soccer is no biggie in America. I hope it remains that way. I'm not sure I can explain why, but I just hope soccer remains the preserve of a small minority of American sports fans.
7/21/2009 2:27 PM EDT

Ajreaper wrote:
Great point Yank- it's a shame when it's more about the "deals" then about the game. That seems to be afflicting more athletes across a broad spectrum of sports- that desire to "get mine". It's one reason I love college athletics far and away more then professional sports (except for my beloved Packers but that goes back better then 30 years so it's engrained pretty solid).
7/22/2009 2:00 AM EDT

Padraig wrote:
Yank. I might be drawing on the bigger picture but…. Well, first Americans really don’t have knowledge of things outside their own state, or their county for that matter (American teacher friend of mine told me it’s scary how many don’t know where states are on a map). I don’t blame them for being unintelligible; it might have something to do with news coverage. This last weekend, CNN covered “remembering Walter Cronkite”; they had a spot there when he said just that. Cronkite said American media doesn’t cover the world much, for whatever reason it’s irrelevant, but the fact is relevant. The world is so connected now it’s not only about the Americas, Europe or other, it’s about us all. Soccer or football as some call it, would be a great gate way for the people in the states to start being connected to the world and not just their own state. Young kids are attracted to what fascinates (sports stars) so start with the young. So, I really must disagree with you, especially when you say you hope it doesn’t become big. It should. Soccer is the number sport in the world, and Americans (the ones in the states) should take it head on. It would be a gate way for the uneducated to start being educated about the world!! The domino effect, ripple effect or whatever effect would benefit the United States. Come on man, you’re the leaders of the world. Maybe your youth as well the old should be more connected! Ask your friends what they know about Ireland besides leprechauns, Guinness and other idioms? They most likely can’t tell you about the Irelands recession, culture or the Lisbon Treaty. Ask an Irishmen or European what goes on in the states, I bet they can tell you!

Please don’t take my disagreement badly. I still enjoy reading your blogs.
7/22/2009 6:47 AM EDT


TheYank wrote:
Padraig,

First of all, I'm a lot thicker-skinned than that. It takes a lot to offend me.

I'll agree with you to a point. Too many Americans don't know much or anything about the world beyond the American continent.

Where I think we might differ is the extent to which Irish people or even Europeans broadly (who I think know less) are all that much more knowledgeable about the world than are Americans. Yes, most Americans know very little about Ireland, but Ireland is not a good comparison with America. If Ireland was a state, it would rank 40th in area and around 20th in population (counting NI too). So, sure, most Americans have little concept of Ireland, although I would say that most of my friends could talk about the Celtic Tiger and its recent demise. But, my friends are not a representative sample because (a) they hear from me and (b) they live on the east coast, where knowledge of Ireland is greater. Still, the Celtic Tiger and the troubles in the Catholic Church here would be two big news stories that would have had an impact in America. And, the north, of course.

Still, the real comparison is between the US and the EU and, I daresay, Irish people's understanding of life in other EU countries (outside of Britain) is pretty scant. I would say that an Irish person's understanding of life in just about any E. European state - fellow EU members - is well below an American's understanding of Mexico or even other Central American or Caribbean countries. What you find here is that most (maybe) Irish people have some idea what's going on in France, Germany & Italy and know basically nothing about the rest of the EU. Maybe I should add Spain there. Maybe.

What you find in America is that many (most) people have an interest in one other country - their ancestral home or if they live in the SW, Mexico - about which they know a lot more than they know about any other country. (Ignoring the US & EU, the most important countries on Earth are India and China. I would say that as a % of population, more Americans know how things are in those countries than do Irish people. However, the avg. American, especially on the E. coast wouldn't know as much probably as the average Irish person.)

As for what Irish people know about America - there is a fascination with all things American here, which explains the media's interest, but there's a also a great deal of misunderstanding too because the media takes its cue from some aspects of America and ignores others. Of course, the Irish media does the same thing to people who don't live in Dublin!

Anyway, back to soccer. Soccer's growth in America has to come at the expense of one of the other sports in America, which I would regret. Baseball football and basketball are aspects of American culture that I'd rather not see sidelined. (Interestingly, the one sport that has the least foreign influence is football and that's easily the most popular sport in America these days.)
7/22/2009 10:39 AM EDT


TheYank wrote:
I should add, that none of that stops me rooting for America to win the World Cup. When that finally happens, the rest of the world will stop wishing Americans would take an interest in soccer!
7/22/2009 10:40 AM EDT


Ajreaper wrote:
Padraig sadly much of what you say is true to some degree and for a variety of reasons. I think outside the US this is often attributed to Americans not caring about or seeing the rest of the world as being relevent to them- put plainly, "Americans are stuck up". I don't think that's the case but I think in many places in the world that's the perception.

I am a teacher in the states and where I live and teach, high stakes testing at different points in a students education are the norm as they are in most places now in the US - if it's not tested it's an after thought and history and geography are often not given the attention they should be. It's a shame, and it's a bigger shame music, art, drama and physical education are being left further and further behind as well. Where I teach in 4 years of high school a student gets a year of World history and Geography and a year of American History- you could do a semester just on the ancient civilizations (or more) mush less give justice to World History and teach Geography in a single year.

We tend to know that which is important to us- either it's required for what we do in our day to day or it is something we have a passion for. if not it's off our radar and likely somethng we will know little about or understand well. It's not I don't care it's just reality about how much time we have and the need to devote most of that to our day to day lives- we are all wired that way.

Personally I don't miss growing up in a culture that cared little for soccer but I think I'd have loved Gaelic Football and/or Rugby and missing those opportunities does disappoint me.
7/22/2009 6:05 PM EDT


Padraig wrote:
Yank. Americans win the world cup. Naw. Just like you said the US bests athletes go into other sports. Until it gains some ground with men, I don’t think the world cup is in seeing distance. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve made some good strides. On the other hand, the women are the world power house; basically, they leave these other pathetic excuse for women footballers sniffing the sweat off the pitch.
7/23/2009 1:02 AM EDT

TheYank wrote:
Padraig,

Basically I agree. I think one thing that may not help men's soccer in America, but does help the women, is that the two sexes play together for a number of years at the junior level. Young American girls learn that soccer's a tough game. I've been told this is not as common now as it was 15 years ago, so I'm not sure.

Regardless, soccer is a game for immigrants' children and the middle classes. I've read a number of times that single moms love soccer because it's not a game dominated by aggressive fathers. I bet that also has an impact, but the real downfall of soccer in America is that it is still the game that must be organized. Kids don't just play it everywhere and anywhere as they do here.
7/24/2009 10:01 AM EDT

Someday America will win the World Cup, even if it takes a few flukey results to make it happen. In 2002 they were denied a chance at a semifinal by a handball on the line by a German defender. Germany then beat S. Korea for a place in the finals.
7/24/2009 10:04 AM EDT

Padraig wrote:
yea they will. they've got some real talent. I don't know them by name but I watched them play Spain, wow. i think in all things first you need talent, well you got that, then leadership, and magic: that little bit of luck with team cohesion and most of all heart! i can't tell how many time my small club wins or loses solely based on the mood.
7/25/2009 6:48 AM EDT

TheYank wrote:
And, they don't have a difficult task to qualify, unlike the European countries.
7/25/2009 7:32 AM EDT