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CARSON, Calif. - On a recent drive, David Beckham saw Al Pacino strolling through their Beverly Hills neighborhood.
Such is life for the biggest star on the most glamorous team in Major League Soccer, the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The Dynamo's biggest star, Brian Ching, has seen Pacino, too - in movies. When Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall thinks of the greatest star he's seen, he guesses it's Beckham.
The Dynamo and Galaxy come into the 2011 MLS Cup final Sunday night at Home Depot Center from opposite sides of the MLS tracks even though they're owned in part by the same company, Anschutz Entertainment Group.
"The other day I was driving my kids to breakfast at 8:30 in the morning and I stopped at a stop sign and I look to my right and Al Pacino is walking with his young kid, which is surreal," Beckham said. "It's moments like that where it's amazing."
Bobby Boswell said his brush with fame as a Dynamo occurred the night Ching accepted an invitation to dinner.
"You don't see too many Hollywood stars in Houston at all," Ching said. "You see a lot of sports figures. Yao Ming, I guess, would probably be one the biggest stars I've seen in Houston."
The final between the Eastern Conference champion Dynamo and Western Conference champion Galaxy is a huge contradiction in star power. Beckham, the former England captain who starred at Manchester United and Real Madrid, is estimated to have earned $40 million this year among his salary and endorsements.
Even his $5.5 million salary with the Galaxy dwarfs the Dynamo's payroll of a little more than $3 million.
Galaxy forward Robbie Keane, all-time leading scorer for Ireland's national team, earns almost as much as the Dynamo - $2.91 million.
The Galaxy have three designated players. The Dynamo have none.
The designated player rule allows each MLS franchise to sign players who would be considered outside of the team's salary cap, allowing teams to compete for international stars.
Formula for success
"We know we don't have the resources of a team like L.A. to bring in (designated players)," Ching said. "But we have always had a team that didn't have any superstars. We have proven you can be successful without one."
Since MLS instituted the DP rule when Beckham came to the league in 2007, no team with a DP has won a title. In essence, only $335,000 of a DP's salary counts against a team's budget, which is why the Galaxy can fit three major salaries under the league's relatively low $2.67 million salary budget per team. Keane's salary counts $167,000 because he joined after midseason.
"I don't think there's any question that (Beckham's) a celebrity and they have the glamour of L.A.," Boswell said. "All I can say to that is he's earned it with the way he's played and the way he's lived his life. We respect that.
"But come game time, we're all competitors. You can talk about individuals. I think they've done well as a team, but we've done quite well as a team, too."
Although he couldn't lead England to a World Cup title, Beckham, 36, has been a winner on the biggest stages. Beckham's teams have won the English Premier League title, the Champions League, the FA Cup and Spain's La Liga crown.
Unlike Ching, Beckham hasn't earned an MLS Cup title in his five years in the United States.
The Galaxy won the Supporters' Shield again this year with the best record in the regular season, but Beckham wasn't brought to America to win Supporters' Shields. He was brought here to win MLS Cups and expand MLS' reach in the U.S. sports market.
Beckham's influence
In that regard, some would argue Beckham's been a hit.
"If you look at the value of the (Galaxy, $100 million), 19 teams in the league now (Montreal starts next year), other cities wanting to get in, an NBC deal, an ESPN deal and if you look at Adidas (sponsorship)," said AEG president Tim Leiweke, "(and) if you look at attendance and soccer-specific stadiums almost across the league, if you look at our ratings, if you look at the Galaxy tour in Asia and Australia, it will be sold-out. There's no question that David not only moved the needle, but he moved it in a significant way."
Maybe, but the Dynamo would like to deny Beckham and the Galaxy stars a celebration tonight.
http://www.chron.com/sports/dynamo/a...up-2278442.php
Such is life for the biggest star on the most glamorous team in Major League Soccer, the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The Dynamo's biggest star, Brian Ching, has seen Pacino, too - in movies. When Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall thinks of the greatest star he's seen, he guesses it's Beckham.
The Dynamo and Galaxy come into the 2011 MLS Cup final Sunday night at Home Depot Center from opposite sides of the MLS tracks even though they're owned in part by the same company, Anschutz Entertainment Group.
"The other day I was driving my kids to breakfast at 8:30 in the morning and I stopped at a stop sign and I look to my right and Al Pacino is walking with his young kid, which is surreal," Beckham said. "It's moments like that where it's amazing."
Bobby Boswell said his brush with fame as a Dynamo occurred the night Ching accepted an invitation to dinner.
"You don't see too many Hollywood stars in Houston at all," Ching said. "You see a lot of sports figures. Yao Ming, I guess, would probably be one the biggest stars I've seen in Houston."
The final between the Eastern Conference champion Dynamo and Western Conference champion Galaxy is a huge contradiction in star power. Beckham, the former England captain who starred at Manchester United and Real Madrid, is estimated to have earned $40 million this year among his salary and endorsements.
Even his $5.5 million salary with the Galaxy dwarfs the Dynamo's payroll of a little more than $3 million.
Galaxy forward Robbie Keane, all-time leading scorer for Ireland's national team, earns almost as much as the Dynamo - $2.91 million.
The Galaxy have three designated players. The Dynamo have none.
The designated player rule allows each MLS franchise to sign players who would be considered outside of the team's salary cap, allowing teams to compete for international stars.
Formula for success
"We know we don't have the resources of a team like L.A. to bring in (designated players)," Ching said. "But we have always had a team that didn't have any superstars. We have proven you can be successful without one."
Since MLS instituted the DP rule when Beckham came to the league in 2007, no team with a DP has won a title. In essence, only $335,000 of a DP's salary counts against a team's budget, which is why the Galaxy can fit three major salaries under the league's relatively low $2.67 million salary budget per team. Keane's salary counts $167,000 because he joined after midseason.
"I don't think there's any question that (Beckham's) a celebrity and they have the glamour of L.A.," Boswell said. "All I can say to that is he's earned it with the way he's played and the way he's lived his life. We respect that.
"But come game time, we're all competitors. You can talk about individuals. I think they've done well as a team, but we've done quite well as a team, too."
Although he couldn't lead England to a World Cup title, Beckham, 36, has been a winner on the biggest stages. Beckham's teams have won the English Premier League title, the Champions League, the FA Cup and Spain's La Liga crown.
Unlike Ching, Beckham hasn't earned an MLS Cup title in his five years in the United States.
The Galaxy won the Supporters' Shield again this year with the best record in the regular season, but Beckham wasn't brought to America to win Supporters' Shields. He was brought here to win MLS Cups and expand MLS' reach in the U.S. sports market.
Beckham's influence
In that regard, some would argue Beckham's been a hit.
"If you look at the value of the (Galaxy, $100 million), 19 teams in the league now (Montreal starts next year), other cities wanting to get in, an NBC deal, an ESPN deal and if you look at Adidas (sponsorship)," said AEG president Tim Leiweke, "(and) if you look at attendance and soccer-specific stadiums almost across the league, if you look at our ratings, if you look at the Galaxy tour in Asia and Australia, it will be sold-out. There's no question that David not only moved the needle, but he moved it in a significant way."
Maybe, but the Dynamo would like to deny Beckham and the Galaxy stars a celebration tonight.
http://www.chron.com/sports/dynamo/a...up-2278442.php
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