David Beckham's Impact on Major League Soccer

I recently watched part of the Los Angeles Galaxy and Kansas City Wizards game on ESPN. In case anyone missed it, David Beckham once again did not play. This does not surprise anyone that follows the sport, as Beckham has been plagued with knee and ankle injuries, which has not been his fault. At 32 years of age, it should not come as a surprise to anyone that more and more nagging injuries have been arising. Alexi Lalas, the General Manager of the Galaxy, and the rest of the Los Angeles Galaxy upper management also had to have realized this as they worked on finalizing a five year deal back in January that will keep Beckham in Major League Soccer until he is 37.

The media attention that surrounded first the rumors of Beckham coming to Major League Soccer, and then the official announcement, was enormous. Television commercials were shot months in advance leading up to July, when he finally made his Major League Soccer debut. Television cameras followed him from the airport to the Home Depot Center for his first time greeting America

However, the question still remains: Should a 32 year old soccer player, who has had a great career, become the highest paid player in Major League Soccer? In most cases, this would be a simple answer: No. Most players that become this old have had a solid career and have passed their years of prime playing performance. In this case, however, it was a move that was a necessary move to make from a business standpoint for not only the Los Angeles Galaxy, but Major League Soccer as well. While Beckham was receiving all of the attention from the media, Major League Soccer as a league was too.

As of September 28, 2007, Beckham had logged 198 minutes in regular season play, appearing in three games, two of which he started. These numbers are hardly what was expected of him in his first season, but nevertheless, when the Los Angeles Galaxy are on ESPN Thursday Night Soccer, the stands appear packed. From a fan's perspective, Beckham has not performed up to what many feel he is worth, due to the value of his contract. From Major League Soccer's perspective though, I would have to think that they are happy with the results they are seeing across the league in the forms of more revenue coming in for their teams in the form of ticket sales, and the general chatter that has been going on in the news and cities across America. A league that once looked like it was going to struggle to stay alive and hang on now appears to be in much better shape with a solid future in sight, all because of one man: David Beckham.