The publicity has landed

Those of you in America, if you’ve been following the less-serious bits of the news over the past couple of days, will be aware David Beckham has arrived. Actually, if the coverage in the British press is anything to go by, you would be aware anyway. Brand Beckham, comprising Posh and Becks, is apparently set to take America by storm. I struggle to recall , probably because there never has been, a football transfer that by the initial looks of it at-least has been so little about on-the-pitch matters.

By that, what I mean is the L.A Galaxy probably did not have any actual need for Beckham on the pitch. I’m sure it was nothing like Alexi Lalas figuring they need a right-winger for this season, and who better than the man who’s filled that position with distinction for the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid and of-course England for so many years now. Anything but. They say it will put the MLS on the footballing map. A global superstar is always good for drawing interest, which translates into bigger audiences and greater media coverage. Beckham is actually perfect for that role, because in-spite of his limited skills, no footballer has probably had as much column inches or television airspace devoted to him in the last ten years or so. Or sold as many shirts. Or made as much money. Ronaldo is Il Finomino, mezmerizing with his skill and audacity, but Beckham is no less a phenomenon, albeit only for his ability to flood his clubs’ coffers. Already L.A Galaxy have sold a reported 250,000 shirts with his name on the back, and the man himself has not pulled one on yet. The mind boggles at the prospect of such a potent marketing gimmick(and I don’t mean to belittle him with that, he really i) at the hands of the Americans. But will this have long-term consequences as far as the beautiful game’s stature in America is concerned? I doubt it.

I say this because America luring away the top players at the fag end of their careers is nothing new really. Cruijff went. So did Best. Even Pele. And although the arrival of each was followed by a spike in the game’s popularity, it always proved to be temporary. Granted, there are certain conditions in place now that might mean Beckham is taking-off in fairer weather(a more professional league, experience of having staged no less a competition than the World Cup, American footballers playing around Europe, a national team that has recently shown signs of developing into a solid if not spectacular unit, and of-course the Soccer Moms) but I believe the Americans by dint of their…lets say disposition, will always find it hard to take to a sport where one of the possible outcomes is a draw. None of their sports endorses this concept, they find it not only alien but preposterous. But the hard-fought, honourable draw to those who know and follow football is one of the most breath-taking spectacles in the game and to compromise on this is to compromise on its charm. Not to mention that football is a much more cerebral sport than its American counterpart, and the Americans don’t generally seem to think outdoor sports and brain exertion go together(if football and American football is not enough as an example of this, look at cricket and baseball). Some games are simply not for everyone.

Nobody watching football for the first time will recognize why its called the beautiful game seeing Beckham play. He is not that type of player who will leave you astounded with the range of his footballing prowess. Even then, almost any top European footballers should be good enough to outshine the rest of the MLS, so expect Beckham to do well. He’s still got a good few years left in him, and during this time expect L.A Galaxy to be one of the most popular teams on the planet. Maybe a few more youngsters will pick up the game, although its an awfully hard ask of one man to affect a game’s popularity in such a massive country. The best bet for me will remain California’s immigrant communities. In any case, apart from the money, I’m sure Beckham has Messianic visions as well of being the saviour of football in the one country that has not yet felt its magic touch. Its hard to wish a guy earning $25 million good luck, but for that at-least, he has it from me.