# The Beckham Experiment **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 2, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beckham-experiment/501718 "2009-07-02T17:05:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beckham-experiment/501718/1 "2009-07-02T17:05:51Z")
Excerpt from a soon to be released book. Some pretty nasty stuff in here. [When he came to L.A., David Beckham was supposed to push MLS to new heights Instead he failed as a leader and alienated his most important teammate In his forthcoming book, Grant Wahl goes inside the failed Beckham experiment](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/the_bonus/06/29/beckham.book/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beckham-experiment/501718/2 "2009-07-02T17:09:59Z")
Did anyone really think it would work? Beckham was in the twilight of his career. He was a name, looking to make money, and he was signed for star value rather than impact on the field. He isn’t a goal scorer primarily, which is what would have had more of an impact. I think Becks thought he was further down the hill than he actually was when he signed the deal. Discovering he could still compete at a serious level must have made it incredibly frustrating to turn out with the bunch of sad sacks they put on a field with him. And probably increases the chances of injury, from misstimed tackles, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Wash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9dc877/32.png) [@Wash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wash)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beckham-experiment/501718/3 "2009-07-02T18:07:26Z")
> [@villa](#): > > Did anyone really think it would work? I say this as someone who is very anti-Beckham in MLS and dislikes the Galaxy intensely, but yes, it could have in 2008 IF LA had anyone competent running the team who knew how to work with MLS rules and the salary cap. Between Beckham, Donovan, Edson Buddle and Alan Gordon, LA had a talented enough front line to take MLS by storm as was shown by the fact that they outscored every other team by a long, long way. The problems came about because Ruud Gullit and Beckham’s management company, who had, for all intents and purposes, taken over the team, had no idea how to work the salary cap to their advantage. Yes Beckam and Donvovan took up a lot of that cap between the two of them, but they still ought to have had enough money left over to put together a defensive line that could work in a “it doesn’t matter that you put 2 past us, we’ll be able to score 3 anyway” kind of way. However, they instead decided to bring in another DP salary level striker in Carlos Ruiz and trade away their best defender in Chris Albright. This left them with pennies to spend on their defensive line. It doesn’t matter that they eventually got wise and threw Ruiz to Toronto, the damage was done as part of the trade agreement had LA still soaking up a large portion of Ruiz’s over-inflated salary. Not only did they score more goals than anyone else, they conceded far, far more too, putting them out of playoff contention. Anyone who pays attention to the league will tell you that a good attack wins games but a good defense wins championships. There’s a reason Houston won in 2006 and 2007 and it’s more because of Onstad and Robinson than it is DeRosario and Ching. Bruce Arena’s doing a decent job of turning the ship around this season, despite still having Beckham’s salary on the cap. He still has mostly rookies on the defense but there’s so much more discipline in the backline and they’re not shipping nearly as many goals. They may have only won 2 or 3 games so far this season but they’ve tied 9 - it’d be interesting to know how many of those would have become wins had Donovan and Buddle been on the end of Beckham’s crosses rather than those of the “lesser” midfielders. Having said all that, I do think this book will be an interesting read, and it certainly sounds like some of his teammates won’t be welcoming him back from his Italian job with open arms. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beckham-experiment/501718/4 "2009-07-02T18:14:07Z")
I think we have differing ideas of what “working” means. I agree with you, it could have made LA a better team. I assumed by working the OP was asking if it could have made MLS anything other than a Muppet league. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beckham-experiment/501718/5 "2009-07-02T18:17:29Z")
What drivel that article is. :rolleyes: I mean, the bit about the check at the meal at Morton’s is a classic example. You are supposed to feel that Landon Donovan disliked Beckham for not picking up the check, but at the same time, it’s abundantly clear that it wouldn’t be normal for just one player to pick up the check. And somehow, Donovan didn’t bother to talk to Beckham in advance and mention that things in America ain’t like they are in Europe, so we don’t go to fancy steak houses and drop multiple C-notes on a meal, so if you want to arrange that, the guys might expect you to pony up the whole shebang? Riiight. Beckham’s “experiment” didn’t fail for any reason given. Beckham’s “experiment”, to the extent it has failed, failed because it turned out that the national team coach was still willing to have Beckham play for the three lions, and Beckham realized he couldn’t do that if he was serving up crosses for Landon Donovan and the untalented group of players that make up the L. A. Galaxy. Once it was clear to him that he needed to be elsewhere, MLS should have simply made the best deal they could with A.C. Milan and cut their losses. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beckham-experiment/501718/6 "2009-07-02T18:31:40Z")
I think one multi-millionaire criticising another multi-millionaire for not buying him a steak dinner is pretty fucking funny. From today’s [Fiver](http://football.guardian.co.uk/fiver): > [@](#): > > A cynic might say that one over-rated blue-eyed poster-boy with a glamourous celebrity wife was jealous at being replaced by another. Not that Donovan’s ever been good enough to be considered over-rated, although he does win the [celebrity wives](http://usa.worldcupblog.org/files/2008/10/bianca_kajlich.jpg). I also agree with **DSYoung** that it was Beckham’s revived England ambitions that scuppered everything. Had that door closed, I think he would’ve put everything into the MLS. As it is, he had other priorities. You can certainly argue that he was being paid enough by the Galaxy that they should’ve been his priority, but there you go; even the uber-rich sometimes just want to play for their country. Realism would’ve been to recognise this and make a deal. ---
**Author:** ![Piker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@Piker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Piker)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beckham-experiment/501718/7 "2009-07-02T21:04:12Z")
> [@villa](#): > > I think we have differing ideas of what “working” means. I agree with you, it could have made LA a better team. I assumed by working the OP was asking if it could have made MLS anything other than a Muppet league. Well, that’s assuming that MLS was a Muppet league to begin with. The Beckham experiment “worked” in the sense it made the Galaxy’s owners, AEG, loads and loads of money. The Beckham experiment did not “work” in the sense that LA has been struggling ever since he arrived. The Beckham experiment did not work in the sense that he did not “save” soccer in the United States, precisely because that doesn’t mean anything. Soccer has enough fans in this country, MLS’s task is to get them to watch MLS, instead of the scores of other leagues and competitions that fragment the soccer landscape in this country. Signing an over-the-hill celebrity was nothing more of a novelty, and plenty of people in the soccer press were saying that back when AEG decided to destroy the reputation of their club in order to sell more jerseys in Asia. And in the process, they gutted one of the league’s marquee clubs and alienated a lot of their supporters. And this is coming from a San Jose fan. -Piker ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beckham-experiment/501718/8 "2009-07-02T23:56:32Z")
MLS IS a muppet league, sad to say. But they are getting better, slowly but surely. I don’t think that the Beckham Experiment was destined to help them out this way, [and I said so way back when](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=8142761). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beckham-experiment/501718/9 "2009-07-03T00:36:47Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > MLS IS a muppet league, sad to say. But they are getting better, slowly but surely. I don’t think that the Beckham Experiment was destined to help them out this way, [and I said so way back when](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=8142761). 😃 You were dead wrong about it being a waste of money though. LA made out like bandits with this deal. ---
**Author:** ![Piker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@Piker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Piker)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beckham-experiment/501718/10 "2009-07-03T04:17:10Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > MLS IS a muppet league, sad to say. But they are getting better, slowly but surely. Yeah, people are going to be saying this for the rest of time because its one of those things that doesn’t mean anything. It ain’t the English Premiership, but it ain’t the Scottish Premier League either. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beckham-experiment/501718/11 "2009-07-03T08:13:42Z")
> [@Piker](#): > > Yeah, people are going to be saying this for the rest of time because its one of those things that doesn’t mean anything. > > It ain’t the English Premiership, but it ain’t the Scottish Premier League either. Can you guys define what the heck a “muppet league” is, besides it being an insult? Or does it literally not have any meaning? ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beckham-experiment/501718/12 "2009-07-03T09:09:27Z")
> [@villa](#): > > I think we have differing ideas of what “working” means. I agree with you, it could have made LA a better team. I assumed by working the OP was asking if it could have made MLS anything other than a Muppet league. That’s s pretty stupid standard. No single player can do this. > [@Dead\_Badger](#): > > I also agree with **DSYoung** that it was Beckham’s revived England ambitions that scuppered everything. Had that door closed, I think he would’ve put everything into the MLS. As it is, he had other priorities. You can certainly argue that he was being paid enough by the Galaxy that they should’ve been his priority, Well, yeah. It was pretty unprofessional of him check out on the Galaxy. I understand his frustrations with the poor play of the Galaxy and his national team desires, but that doesn’t get him off the hook. The Galaxy is paying him a lot of money and they deserve his best. Much of the article is drivel though. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dead\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Badger)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beckham-experiment/501718/13 "2009-07-03T09:55:47Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Can you guys define what the heck a “muppet league” is, besides it being an insult? Or does it literally not have any meaning? Well, imagine muppets playing football and I suspect you’ll have the intended meaning. Not that I endorse the description. > [@Yookeroo](#): > > Well, yeah. It was pretty unprofessional of him check out on the Galaxy. I agree, but I think there are very few (if any) top flight players who would put playing for the Galaxy above a chance at another shake of the World Cup stick. If Landon Donovan had to move for international football, you can bet your bottom dollar he’d be off like a rocket. Such is the world of football; contracts are frequently viewed as at best a minor inconvenience. Indeed His Dickheadedness Sepp Blatter described Man Utd’s unconscionable insistence on making Ronaldo play football for piles of cash as “modern slavery.” ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beckham-experiment/501718/14 "2009-07-03T10:05:05Z")
> [@Piker](#): > > Yeah, people are going to be saying this for the rest of time because its one of those things that doesn’t mean anything. > > It ain’t the English Premiership, but it ain’t the Scottish Premier League either. No, it’s not the Scottish Premier League, either. It doesn’t have any teams with the quality of Celtic, Rangers, or even Hearts. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beckham-experiment/501718/15 "2009-07-03T15:03:53Z")
Wasn’t the Beckham Experiment first called the Pelé Experiment? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-beckham-experiment/501718/16 "2009-07-03T18:04:12Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > Wasn’t the Beckham Experiment first called the Pelé Experiment? Good one. Never heard that comparison before.