Let's follow the hype over the years

[Mosiah]

<DIV>It will all go to naught. Americans are not smart enuff to sit thru a football game. 0-0 ties will **** them off and they will make fun of it and call it a girls game. Watch! This too shall pass, as my good friend Courtney would say.</DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>Just follow the fizzles over the years:</DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>1. The USA beat England in the 1950 (?) World Cup. They think this is it. Football will take off in the USA.</DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>2. Pele and all sorts of stars, some geriatric,play in the NASL in the 70's.Compare Pele's name to Beckham. :Laff: The league lasts a few years, some crowds are actually huge. This is it for real. Soccer (sic) is here to stay.</DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>3. The USA hosts World Cup 1994. Now, apart from Pele playing the USA, what can be bigger than this? Romario and the great Brazilian team are on show in the biggest commercial capital of the world. It gives rise to the MLS, a weird league where all the teams are owned by a consortium, there is no relegation, and some fields have 10 yard lines all over the place. It's lasted 10 years and counting, so, hooray!</DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>4. Freddy Adu, a Ghanaian with immense youth skills, lotteries his way onto American soccer fields. He is touted as the next Pele, the saviour of American soccer and is given half a million dollars as a 16 year old. His commericals are all over the place as he struggles to make his club side. The long-anticipated move to ManU orReal Madrid turns out to be a transfer to Real Salt Lake. How salt can one be!</DIV><DIV></DIV><DIV>5. David Beckham "turns down" a contract extension with Real Madrid (yeah, right) and picks up another challenge - playing with the LA Galaxy in the MLS. His only real challenge is how to spend Adu's salary in one week. Everyone is saying this is a major deal. <DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV id=q1></DIV>"David Beckham will have a greater impact on soccer in America than any athlete has ever had on a sport globally"<BR clear=all></DIV></DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV class=mva>Timothy J. Leiweke, president &amp; CEO of AEG, LA Galaxy owners</DIV><DIV class=mva></DIV><DIV class=mva>Hogwash!Was Leiweke at the ballpark chomping on a hot dog when Pele was single-handedly changing the world with Santos and Brazil?</DIV></DIV></DIV>

[Karl]

RE: Let's follow the hype over the years

Mosiah (1/12/2007)<DIV></DIV><DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV class=mva></DIV><DIV class=mva>Hogwash!Was Leiweke at the ballpark chomping on a hot dog when Pele was single-handedly changing the world with Santos and Brazil?</DIV></DIV></DIV>

That was 'then'! This is 'now'! (tup)(Clap)(tup)

[Mosiah]

RE: Let's follow the hype over the years

Karl (1/12/2007)

Mosiah (1/12/2007)<DIV></DIV><DIV><DIV class=mva><DIV class=mva></DIV><DIV class=mva>Hogwash!Was Leiweke at the ballpark chomping on a hot dog when Pele was single-handedly changing the world with Santos and Brazil?</DIV></DIV></DIV>

That was 'then'! This is 'now'! (tup)(Clap)(tup)

Karl, the statement was:

<DIV class=mva><DIV id=q1></DIV>"David Beckham will have a greater impact on soccer in America than any athlete has ever had on a sport globally"<BR clear=all></DIV><DIV class=mva>The operative word is ever!</DIV><DIV class=mva></DIV><DIV class=mva>Think Muhammad Ali. Think Pele. David Beckham, Mr. Spice, is going to have a monumental impact on US soccer. Is that what unnu want me to believe? </DIV><DIV class=mva></DIV><DIV class=mva>Well, come to think of it, it's true already. Hell, I think the RBSC needs to open up a David Beckham Forum! But in terms of football, I just hope he's a starter with the Galaxy.</DIV>

[Zeppo]

RE: Let's follow the hype over the years

Wow, quite selective in your list of big moments in U.S. soccer history, weren't you?



Only an idiot thinks that Beckham alone will make turn the game into one of the top U.S. spectator sports. But it is still a step forward.



The sport is growing and progress is being made, whether you want to acknowledge it or not. Soccer is the #2 youth sport in the country. Many will ditch it for other sports, but just a fraction of them that stay with it still amounts to millions.



You are one of the quickest around her to bash any good news regarding soccer in America. But mainly you are showing your jealousy and fear.



Jealousy that the 10-year-old MLS has already surpassed anything that Jamaica could ever hope to produce in a soccer league. Although it's not tough to compete against a semi-pro league where players and refs are routinely chased off the field and beaten up by angry spectators.



And fear of what's to come as the sport here continues to grow. The majority of the US public doesn't care about the sport, but we're miles ahead of you guys and beat the ReggaeBozos just about every time we play them!



Just think how bad it's going to be for you guys when the giant really starts to awaken!



But don't let this stop you from posting. It's good fun to see your desperation.

[Gamma]

RE: Let's follow the hype over the years

beckham will be a star...in hollywood!

[Mosiah]

RE: Let's follow the hype over the years

Take comfort in what Bora said.