Baseball is up and running, the NBA Playoffs just started this weekend, but for some reason I'm disinterested in both. Over the last couple of years my sport of choice has been soccer, and I blame David Beckham.
I know most people think the Becks/Galaxy experiment was a bust in the States, but I'm one of those that really started to pay attention to Major League Soccer after he joined the L.A. side. Sure, MLS still isn't on par with the NFL, MLB, or the NBA, but I do think the league was able to turn casual fans into more die-hards.
Now, I'm much more interested in watching a Philadelphia Union/Toronto FC match than a Yankees/Red Sox game. I used to be a big Spurs fan, but I'd rather get tickets to an Austin Aztex/Portland Timbers game than heading down to San Antonio. If anything involving the UEFA Champions League or the EPL comes on the TV, I'll stop what I'm doing to catch up on European football, but I could careless about the upcoming NFL Draft. Don't get me started on the World Cup. I kind of feel un-American thanks to my soccer obsession.
Soccer will always be a niche sport in the States, which is a shame, but maybe someday it will become a bigger part of our sport culture. You never know, soccer might even over take hockey in terms of popularity in the U.S. (although playoff hockey is amazing to watch).
Showing posts with label MLS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MLS. Show all posts
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Sunday, November 22, 2009
My Two-Cents on MLS Cup 2009
Real Salt Lake bested the top ranked Los Angeles Galaxy to win the team's first MLS Cup, and the first major sports championship for the state of Utah. Under normal circumstances, I'd be happy for RSL because I always cheer for the underdog, but this season I really wanted David Beckham to help the Galaxy win their third championship.
Becks has taken some unwarranted heat ever since he came to the United States. Most of his critics rag on him because MLS has not seen the growth in popularity that was expected when he crossed the pond. Then there was the whole AC Milan fiasco which pissed some fans off, and just gave his naysayers more ammunition to throw his way. While I agree that Becks hasn't made the MLS a league that rivals even the NHL or even NASCAR, he did bring some excitement to some casual soccer fans like myself. A win tonight would have shut up some of his detractors. It would have validated his move to the U.S.
Unfortunately, the PKs did not go the Galaxy's way, and people are probably going to find a way to pin it on Becks even though he made his kick. Hopefully, Becks will be heading back to the States after his stay in Italy, so he can have another shot at winning the MLS Cup. Until then, congratulations Real Salt Lake.
Becks has taken some unwarranted heat ever since he came to the United States. Most of his critics rag on him because MLS has not seen the growth in popularity that was expected when he crossed the pond. Then there was the whole AC Milan fiasco which pissed some fans off, and just gave his naysayers more ammunition to throw his way. While I agree that Becks hasn't made the MLS a league that rivals even the NHL or even NASCAR, he did bring some excitement to some casual soccer fans like myself. A win tonight would have shut up some of his detractors. It would have validated his move to the U.S.
Unfortunately, the PKs did not go the Galaxy's way, and people are probably going to find a way to pin it on Becks even though he made his kick. Hopefully, Becks will be heading back to the States after his stay in Italy, so he can have another shot at winning the MLS Cup. Until then, congratulations Real Salt Lake.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
My Two-Cents on Becks
I've always had this odd fascination with soccer, and I've been a quiet supporter of Major League Soccer since its inception, so I was pumped when David Beckham joined the L.A. Galaxy a few years back.
For those out of the loop, Becks was loaned out to AC Milan so he can be eligible to play for England in the 2010 World Cup, but sports writers and fans knew that he'd want to stay in Italy for good, and they were right.
After some drama, it was decided that Beckham will play out the rest of the season in Italy before heading back to the States to play for LA. There are going to be critics who slam Beckham for doing this and claim that his time in America was a failure, but I don't think they really understand the importance of playing soccer in Europe. ESPN gave Becks the chance to state his case:
Now, whether or not Beckham's time in the US was a failure cannot be determined just yet. People come out to see him play, and he created some buzz by coming over, so while he didn't make the biggest impact in the world, he did make a splash. I'm glad he'll be coming back for a bit, and if he decides to play the rest of his career in Europe, I'm not going to hold it against him because I enjoyed watching him in the MLS.
For those out of the loop, Becks was loaned out to AC Milan so he can be eligible to play for England in the 2010 World Cup, but sports writers and fans knew that he'd want to stay in Italy for good, and they were right.
After some drama, it was decided that Beckham will play out the rest of the season in Italy before heading back to the States to play for LA. There are going to be critics who slam Beckham for doing this and claim that his time in America was a failure, but I don't think they really understand the importance of playing soccer in Europe. ESPN gave Becks the chance to state his case:
Now, whether or not Beckham's time in the US was a failure cannot be determined just yet. People come out to see him play, and he created some buzz by coming over, so while he didn't make the biggest impact in the world, he did make a splash. I'm glad he'll be coming back for a bit, and if he decides to play the rest of his career in Europe, I'm not going to hold it against him because I enjoyed watching him in the MLS.
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