Extreme Overkill

Today one of the richest sporting contracts in history was signed by soccer “legend” David Beckham. The contract is worth a reported $250 million over the next 5 years. To put it into perspective, Beckham will earn roughly a million dollars per week for the next five years. He will be playing for the Los Angeles Galaxy who are apart of Major League Soccer (MLS), which was founded in 1996. The league is comprised of a various teams all over the US, especially in major cities. Beckham, who hails from England, has most recently played in Spain for the New Madrid team. But one wonders, is this man really worth $250 million in a country that is not exactly known for its enthusiasm for soccer?

Soccer main allegiance of fans pervade from other parts of the world, more specifically throughout Latin America and Europe. By nature, soccer is a “poor man’s sport,” which is why it has never taken hold in the United States. But obviously, as shown with Beckham’s exodus to the United States, soccer is gradually taking hold as one of the premier sports in the country. Now, I do not doubt Beckham’s ability, as it takes an extraordinary athlete to play the game for as long as he has, much less play the game at all on a competitive level. But isn’t this massive contract just a bit much for a sport that isn’t exactly on in prime time?

A recent survey conducted on ESPN.com suggests that Americans are not interested in Beckham joining the Galaxy. Out of 45,000 individuals, almost 36% do not even watch soccer. But 68% report that they are a bit more interested in watching a soccer game as long as Beckham is on the field. Even though the number is staggering, I really do not see what all of the fuss is about? His contract even trumps Michael Jordan’s $30 million or so a year when he was playing for the Chicago Bulls. But he was worth it, as he was able to draw both an audience in wherever he played as well as on TV. He was a revenue maker on an extraordinary level, as well as the most talented person to ever play the game of basketball.

Beckham may be renowned on a world wide scale, but the United States has a tendency not to acknowledge international superstardom. People in the United States are more concerned with events and people that are occurring in their backyard; we are very selfish in essence. I have a feeling that Beckham’s presence will not substantially affect viewership of MLS in the United States. Last year, Nielson reports that on average 687,000 people viewed MLS games. Compare that to the NFL, the richest sport in the U.S. Just last week, FOX drew a total of over 17 million people watching playoff football. CSI draws more viewes than MLS soccer! Americans a re stubborn by nature, which signals to me that all of the hype over Beckham will pass soon and Beckham will be added to the list of international superstars that have been swallowed up by American popular culture.