TGIF: Beckham is out. Now what?

Good morning folks. It is the final day of the European transfer window, which means we should be hearing about transfer news throughout the day. I'm still waiting on word of Danny Szetela's decision, which will be revealed today.

For today's first post I wanted to offer up one last discussion on David Beckham. As you have heard by now, an MRI revealed that Beckham will in fact miss six weeks with a sprained MCL in his right knee. It is a nightmare development for the Galaxy and MLS, which will watch the Galaxy go on a handful of road games to venues that were set to be sold out for Beckham. Now, the Golden Goose is down and fans from Salt Lake City to Columbus are left with tickets that aren't worth as much now.

Hearing Beckham confess that his injured left ankle played a part in how he approached the fateful challenge that hurt his knee left me feeling a bit torn. Part of me wanted to post an even bigger 'I Told You So' than I did last week since I did foresee something like this happening, but part of me felt bad for Galaxy fans, whose team found a way to mishandle its biggest star so badly.

Yes, I know, it is a five-year deal so not all is lost, but the buzz around this season is now fading quickly. That's unfortunate because the league is actually having a really good year in terms of story lines and quality of play, but it remains to be seen whether all that attention Beckham was getting will just disappear or whether some of it will find its way to other deserving stories. Whether it is Cuauhtemoc Blanco's impressive form with the Fire or Maykel Galindo's tale of triumph, there are stories to tell.

What do you thinkn about the news that Beckham will most most of the rest of the season, if not all of it? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

[Justin O]

I don't think the league in general, and other MLS story lines, were ever going to get much publicity with Beckham healthy. The league still hasn't figured out how to get get significant coverage for anything non-Beckham as it is.

[CD]

Concur Justin. The hype machine around Beckham it could be argued was taking away from other happenings in the league.

[BrianM]

I though it was funny I had a voicemail from the Crew trying to sell me tickets to the Beckham game yesterday afternoon. The selling point even then was seeing Beckham play.

[inkedAG]

I agree with Justin. Every journalist, columnist and any other soccer afcianado needs to get into Garber et al's ears and say "TELL THE OTHER STORIES!!!" Maykel Gallindo, Juan Toja, Juan Pablo Angel, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Eddie Johnson, Taylor Twellman, Shalrie Joseph, Jozy Altidore, Fred, Luciano Emilio, Guillermo Schelotto, Jeff Parke, Cobi Jones, Sh!T, everyone else playin in this friggin league!!!! Stars can be created!

[toucan]

Ives
I can understand that Beckham is more or less a "household" name and his participation in the league was highly anticipated. But I think the secondary effects of his arrival was supposed to put the spotlght on the league and not just on one man. If that were true, then ESPN should have an "Angel Watch" portion in SoccerNet because in all honesty, he is one of the most exciting players to watch in the league. But I think the PR campaign was mishandled from the league and the Galaxy, and now they will suffer resentment and loss of credibility because their top marketing effort is out for the season. However, the season will continue without Beckham and there is still tons of exciting soccer left, btu will any of it make news? I hope so

[CD]

Can Lalas comments now be censured. Did he just realize getting older players and scheduling exhibition matches during the final stretch of the season was a bad idea.

Can anyone tell me of another sports team that ever scheduled exhibition matches during their most critical stretch of the season? So as part of making the league more credible it would be a good idea at the end of the season to throw a few exhibition matches in. Any chance the Lakers would play the Harlem Globetrotters in an exhibition match in October during the playoff push?

[DCU Fan]

I think its a blessing in disguise. He will get healthy and should finally be 100% when he's back. From a marketing standpoint i haven't been a fan of the way the league has been covered. they should be using becks as a way to get fans into the other stories. This might force them to do that. The media outlets have already invested in MLS, perhaps this will allow them to be a bit more creative in how they use that investment now that he is hurt. Silver lining.

[Tony M]

> I don't think the league in general, and other MLS story lines, were ever going to get much publicity with Beckham healthy.

I don't know about that. 65K went to see Beckham in New Jersey and left talking about Altidore. That is a textbook example of the kind of benefit Beckham can bring.

[CD]

The marketing by the MLS was f***d from the beginning. During the draft Maurice Edu was trying to make a statement immediately after being drafted number 1 and ESPN cut him off after 2 words so that they could talk about David Beckham who had just signed. Of course they did have multiple other occasions during the broadcast to talk about Beckham.

I promise this is my last comment for this post.

[Bill]

If ESPN/MLS wants to continue the 'mania' then get Beckham to help sell the league by doing broadcasting (yeah, soft voice and slight lisp isn't best). The idea is that casual fans 'know' beckham is great (they know his name, right?) and then beckham can say..wow, that Toja was amazing or that was pure class seeing Angel finish that..etc etc

He can probably add credence to the league by association - casual fans would believe anything they guy says :)

[Warren]

This is what happens when a league is put on one players back. Sure, theres other stories like Maykel Galindo. But is anyone oversees interested in him? Of course thats not as good of a story.

But what I do think this tells MLS is that they need to sign another big name player......sooner then later......

[Garrick]

Well it sucks that Beckham is out. But injuries happen, teams sometimes suck, and fans get dissapointed. Stories are alwasy boring without conflict and difficulty. We all have to remember that Beckham will be around for 4 more years. What a great story line next year when LA hoists the Cup, and we all talk about how Beckham fought back from adversity and dissapointment.

Hopefully.

[Squard]

I can't believe that MLS or Lalas didn't see this coming. They scheduled all these useless money-making exhibitions on top of a horrible schedule, all while Beckham is trying to regain his spot with Englands national team. I'm suprised more players haven't had season ending injuries. I really hope someone in the MLS or Galaxy front offices gets fired for this. Galaxy fans deserve better than this.

[Sandro]

I think management in LA Galaxy needs to look at themselves for the nightmare they created. MLS also needs to look at what they did wrong by raising ticket prices for Beckham games. It is unfortunate but people were already looking at MLS as trying to get a quick buck for Beckham (Ticket sales, Jerseys, etc). It is like they felt they needed to rush and raise ticket prices, sell shirts and put him out there even though he wasn't totally healthy (Chelsea game). If MLS would not have raise ticket prices or advertise the games as a beckham appearance he might have been given the chance to rest and probably would not be in this predicament. Also LA Galaxy (in MLS games) has just been bad without Beckham. The flux of people leaving and joining the team has been for LA Galaxy.

Hopefully MLS and LA Galaxy can learn from all their mistakes. Finally Ives, given that the Red Bulls are back in NY this week have the ticket sales increase? do you see the Red Bulls getting more people to attend their games given that this is the first game at home after they played the LA Galaxy? How many people who watched the game against LA Galaxy do you see coming back?

I guess the answer to those questions will let us know if the Beckham effect indeed has increase the popularity of the sport.

[Lee]

This is the sort of chance MLS & the Galaxy took when they signed Beckham.
And its the sort of chance that ticket buyers took when they bought tickets based solely on Beckham's presence.

-Lee

[Paul Lorinczi]

As a Footballer and a coach, you have to do what's best for the player right now.

I personally would rather see a Beckham that is healthy and demonstrating what "work rate" means than the one hobbling around right now. We are not seeing him at his best because he is not going into tackles.

And yes, his bad ankle is playing havoc on the rest of his body because the other muscles are overcompensating for the injured ones. Besides, that left ankle is more important than the right. It's his plant foot on those free kicks.

An injured Beckham on the field is not getting your money's worth either. To his point, he has signed up for 5 years. Let the man get healthy.

It is up to the rest of the MLS players to pick up their games at the level he has brought.

You guys in New York, make sure you go see Blanco this weekend. He is worth the admission and he will give the Red Bulls a challenge, as will the rest of Chicago with Wanchope and Rolfe up top.

[Allen]

My two-bits : Buzz is fickle. It will die down for now. But as long as Mr. Posh keeps playing for England, it will be back and buzzing away come next April.

[Neal a.k.a. Dirty South Futbol]

How many times do we, the soccer loving public, have to hear from soccer journalist and other sports writers about how "they told us so," in regards to Beckham? Told us what? That he would get injured? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that when a franchise and a league ride a star player like a show pony all over the country/world while he is injured and barely off a long la liga season, he will get exhausted and hurt. No one can tell us so, because we are actually educated and can prognosticate as well. And to the media that say this experiment is a failure - well, IMO, Beckham did in two months what the league has been trying to do for years. 48000 at DC. 65000 at NY. Theya ctually have discussed Beckham on ESPN's PTI for three straight days now.When was the last time we got this exposure? Beckham has done some great things already...give him a break. He will be back next year, and I don't care if the hype is there or not. I just enjoy watching a gifted player do what he does best-play.

[Andrew]

i want transfer deadline news

[Peter Bering]

Hahahahahah!!!

The MLS, the Galaxy and McLaren really deserve this.

While I wish Beckham a good and complete recovery, he has been forced by greedy, neurotic, stupid and short-termist manager, trainer, MLS and McLaren to play while injured. He feels he has no right to say no, and his career could soon be over from injury or from low quality matching and training.

If not for his vulgar and greedy wife, he could perhaps be a part of ie Erikssons City by now, playing a real part in a real world.

And Pachuca is really crap. They had problems beating the galactically crappy Galaxy of the crappy MLS.