Apple Pie, Chevrolet and Soccer?

Since when has soccer been more American? Multi-million dollar contracts, league suspensions, banning fans from coming to matches indefinitely following racially charged insults, and steroids scandals. Does it get any more American than that?

With headlines that rival other major American sports leagues. The MLS and soccer seem to have made it into the American sports vernacular. Outside America, soccer is bigger than our version of football, the NFL. Drawing average attendances of upwards to 75K for single regular season games for some clubs. However, within American borders, it is has been nothing more than a good way for parents to keep their 8 to 9 year-olds with attention deficit disorder from bouncing off the walls. But that is changing.

A large part of soccer's budding urban American expansion was accelerated when European soccer phenom David Beckham signed a $250 million contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy, late last year. The signing became an international story that was met with mixed predictions as to what might happen to American soccer. It has also paved the way for other fading European football superstars, Tony Caig and Juan Pablo Ángel Arango amongst others, that have exhausted their careers on soccer's "Big Stage", to come to the US in an effort to increase the popularity of the sport. Personally, I feel that spending $250 million on one player is like putting up your entire years salary on the Detroit Lions to win the Super bowl.

With more media attention than an O.J. trial, David and equally eminent bride, ex-Spice Girl Victoria Adams, have become known as a fashion plate, and together the couple have become lucrative spokespeople sought after by clothing designers, health and fitness specialists, fashion magazines, perfume and cosmetics manufacturers, hair stylists, exercise promoters, and spa and recreation companies. Let's not forget the NBC TV show "Victoria Beckham: Coming to America". Or do.

Despite all of the initial hype surrounding the Beckhams, this has not incited any kind of American soccer revolution. Those of you who are old enough might remember that in the 1970s, the Cosmos soccer team in New York pulled a similar move by bringing Pelé, a fading soccer legend, to the United States. It was a widely successful venture that captured national attention but in the end proved fruitless for increasing the overall popularity of soccer in America over the long term.

Overall Americans just don't understand soccer. To average Joe Six-pack, the game is too slow, there is not enough scoring and games always seem to end in ties. Would someone explain ties again to Donavan McNabb? Simply, soccer just isn't high-octane enough for most American fans. We prefer huge juiced giants slamming into each other at full speed to grab our attention. At least one similarity than can be observed between American and European football. Hooliganism and the Raider Nation

Things will probably work out for the Galaxy and the MLS, at least in the short term. There are no NFL football teams in Los Angeles to compete with. Beckham is a recognized celebrity and has an attractive wife. A star-obsessed city such as Los Angeles may work well for this type of promotion.

The MLS concluded its 13th season this year with 14 teams. It also has awarded an expansion franchise to Seattle to begin play in 2009 and to Philadelphia to start in 2010. In more recent headlines, MLS Commissioner, Don Garber has continued to move forward with plans for expanding the MLS to the league maximum of 18 teams. Cities that are still being considered are Portland, Ottawa, Vancouver, Miami and Atlanta. Latest news reports that Montreal has dropped out of contention, and cites Miami and Portland being the front-runners for the leagues final two expansion teams.

Not bad for a nation that still hasn't conformed to the metric system, but has let soccer become one of our means of sporting entertainment.