Beckham to sign with Galaxy

Discussion in 'Prem talk, Those Other Leagues, and International' started by pettyfog, Jan 11, 2007.

  1. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

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    According to ABC news...

    Anyone surprised?
     
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  2. HatterDon

    HatterDon Moderator

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    I'll be surprised if it happens. He's still wanted by EPL sides. He's not ready for the MLS retiree's farm.

    [30 seconds after VB's post] Of course, I could be wrong about that! :D
     
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  3. VonBilly

    VonBilly New Member

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    Mar 3, 2005
    It's a done deal
    Posh will sooooo happy

    David Beckham is to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season and sign a five-year deal with Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy.

    The former England captain is to quit Madrid when his contract runs out in June after agreeing a deal worth £128million over the five-year period.
    Beckham said in a statement: "This week, Real Madrid asked me to make a decision regarding my future and the offer to extend my contract by a further two seasons.

    "After discussing several options with my family and advisers to either stay here at Madrid or join other major British and European clubs, I have decided to join the Los Angeles Galaxy and play in the MLS from August this year.

    "I would like to thank the supporters and people of Madrid who have made my family and I feel so welcome in my time here, making this an extremely difficult decision to make.

    "I have enjoyed my time in Spain enormously and I am extremely grateful to the club for giving me the opportunity to play for such a great team and their amazing fans.

    "I am proud to have played for two of the biggest clubs in football and I look forward to the new challenge of growing the world's most popular game in a country that is as passionate about its sport as my own.

    "For the rest of this season I will continue to give 100 per cent to my coach, team mates and fans as I believe Fabio Capello will bring this club and its supporters the success they truly deserve."

    The announcement comes after days of speculation over Beckham's future with a host of clubs across Europe linked with the former England captain.

    Major League Soccer spokesman Dan Courtemanche says Beckham's representatives have been in Los Angeles discussing a switch to the US for some time.

    "AEG, and specifically the Los Angeles Galaxy from MLS, are speaking to his representatives… He has a relationship with AEG, which owns the Los Angeles Galaxy, he is partners with them in his academy," Courtemanche added.

    "(Talks started this month) under Fifa guidelines from January 1."

    AEG are one of the most influential companies in United States soccer, and own the LA Galaxy, Chicago Fire and Houston Dynamo franchises and this week sold DC United
     
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  4. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

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    I shoulda bet my cred on this a month ago...

    Let's hope Gooch looks at this and thinks, Hmmmm.. 'WHY!"

    The SAME reason Gooch should sign with Fulham rather than Inter
     
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  5. ChicagoTom

    ChicagoTom Administrator

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    I am a bit surprised that Beckham has signed with the Galaxy. I thought he eventually would, but not this soon. I know he is not the player he once was, but he is a still a good solid player in midfield and will be a great MLS player for a few seasons. I would hope this will boost attendance for the Galaxy.
     
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  6. dcheather

    dcheather Administrator

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    #6
  7. SoCalJoe

    SoCalJoe Well-Known Member

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    It was reported that Posh was house hunting 2 days ago on the local news channels (so this is no surprise). Heather hit it on the head its ALL marketing. While he isn't the player he once was, it has to be considered a major coup to get him this young. As for attendance, it will have the same inital impact that Wayne Gretzky had when he came to town. It became very "in" to be at the Kings games, and it will be the likewise for the Galaxy.
     
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  8. HatterDon

    HatterDon Moderator

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    When I first saw this I thought: He's signed with Peterborough?
     
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  9. BostonDan

    BostonDan New Member

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    Jan 4, 2005
    How does this work financially?

    So far I can't find anything that explains how the $250 million is broken down. Or even if it's real. Is some of it transfer fee? How in the world does the Galaxy, or even MLS as a whole, generate this kind of money from gate and TV? I can't see it adding up.

    Is a big part of it incentives - maybe he gets a percentage of the additional gate he generates? Are endorsements included? A few movie parts for the wife? The number is pretty shocking on the face of it.
     
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  10. omsdogg

    omsdogg New Member

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    and in every other city the Galaxy play in too! a huge coup for the MLS.
     
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  11. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

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    I think we're gonna have to wait on the sport-biz wonks to figure it out.

    It's an over-all promotional incentive package... exactly how they'll capitalize it is something to be determined.
    One thing for sure, the gate will be a miniscule part of it... though even Adu was worth 3 to 5000 additional ticket sales when he first started playing.
     
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  12. HatterDon

    HatterDon Moderator

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    Don't forget also that the Real Madrid signing was a huge marketing/branding thing. He switched his number from 7 to 23 to pick up on Michael Jordan's identification with the number. Three or 4 years later, he's the one who's identified with it.

    Real made a buttload of money marketing his stuff. Beckham brings in a lot of fans that don't usually follow fitba. If there's anyone with an ounce of sense running MLS, they must know that they've tapped into the single most identifieable/brandable athlete in the world.

    And the boy can still play a bit too. Before he got his knock, he along with Hargreaves, Terry, and Joe Cole were by far the best English players in the WC. If half of what was reported in the press is true, there were half-dozen EPL teams after him as well as some German and French sides.
     
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  13. DCDave

    DCDave Member

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    The two most interesting aspects of this:

    1) As discussed beofre, the money: $250 mil. That's A-Rod money. I know there's marketing opportunities, but still, $250 mil. I hope MLS is not in for much of that--could it sink the league like the way the NASL was sunk? It's like the USFL. which was doing well in the spring until they decided to go big time and compete against the NFL. They went to the fall and failed.

    2) He's not playing until August. I know that makes sense given that's when his season usually begins, but it will be wierd to have Galaxy playing games and Beckhom not playing. Would he come and watch them play? (That'd be wierder!) I'm certain the average American sports fan would not understand it and might think this is another "wierd soccer thing".
     
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  14. SCFulhamFan

    SCFulhamFan Active Member

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    Yea, but just think of the shirt sales
     
    #14
  15. ChicagoTom

    ChicagoTom Administrator

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    Tonight at 8PM-10PM EST, Fox Soccer Channel will air a LIVE show about the future of US Soccer and MLS. Among the guests to appear on the show is MLS commissioner Don Garber. I can imagine a good number of questions talked about in this thread will be addressed. Particularly the financial questions. Here is a link to the the press release about the show:

    http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/6328658
     
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  16. Spencer

    Spencer Active Member

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    Jul 1, 2005
    I'm not sure how I feel about this.

    I do have this feeling that the hype will be big and thus many people will show up or tune in who otherwise would not. From a soccer stand point Becks is not all that captivating. He's not going make and weaving runs leaving five defenders in his wake and finish it with a bullet to the top corner. He's a useful player but not someone the casual fan will watch and go wow! and be inspired to watch more soccer. Are the people going to their first game going to be impressed with his world class crosses?

    More likely they'll show up and Becks will fail to meet the expectations set impossibly high by all the American media hype. The newcomers will go "so what" and mistakenly think that this is the best soccer has to offer and won't feel inclined to watch another game for eight years when I suppose Ronaldinho signs for New York.
     
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  17. BostonDan

    BostonDan New Member

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    Jan 4, 2005
    Financial info

    CNN/SI - according to Garber it's $250 million in salary and endorsements. He already makes $32 million/per year. I suspect that a lot of the $250 million includes endorsement money that is already committed to him. While he is going to experience the intense, but short-lived, celebrity "bounce" here in the US I wonder how this will effect his endorsements globally. The average fan in the Far East or South America knows all about Real Madrid but Beckham's presence is not going to make them interested in the Galaxy and MLS. Galaxy #23 shirts won't be flying off the shelves in Seoul and Buenos Aires. I agree with others that hopefully MLS is not staking too much of its marketing strategy on this. At lot of people will go see him once but it's improvement in the overall product and atmosphere that's going to make the difference in the end.
     
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  18. dirtyboy

    dirtyboy New Member

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    Imagine that, I just got my season ticket renewal notice from the Galaxy this morning. My tickets have increased $200. Galaxy tickets were already much higher than any other MLS team, however the Galaxy are the best American team ever so I wont complain (too much).
     
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  19. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

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    Jan 4, 2005
    Geezz... and this HAD been a credible, reasonable discussion!

    And, no, I'm not plumping for the Crew, either. They certainly arent.
     
    #19
  20. dcheather

    dcheather Administrator

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    This bbc article breaks down the $275 million dollar figure.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/6253829.stm

     
    #20
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