The signing of David Beckham to the Los Angeles Galaxy in an estimated 250-million-dollar deal could be a vital move to turn the US into a “soccer nation,” the country’s football enthusiasts said Thursday. Are we going to have to call it football or can we still call it soccer?
The LA Galaxy described the deal as the “biggest in sporting history” but said that the staggering amount was justified by Beckham’s potential to transform football into a mainstream American sport. Looks like he’s going to be the Brad Pitt of sports.
“David Beckham will have a greater impact on soccer in America than any athlete has ever had on a sport globally,” said Tim Leiweke, the president of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, which runs the Galaxy. “David is truly the only individual that can build the bridge between soccer in America and the rest of the world.” After the Los Angeles paparazzi eats this guy for breakfast lunch and dinner, he’ll run back to England faster than you can say, English Muffin.
The luring to America of the former England captain and Real Madrid star was enabled by a rule change by Major League Soccer, the main football league in the US, which just last year allowed each team to exceed the team salary cap of 2 million dollars with a single player whose salary falls out of the budget.
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