Pistol Pete

Pete Vagenas used to be the captain of the LA Galaxy, back before Landon Donovan assumed that post. Pete captained the squad back when they won their 2005 MLS title, and he's always been honest and staightforward with reporters.

Knowing him as a member of the local media, I was pretty sad to see a statemant he made to Sean Wheelock, working as a correspondent for the BBC, get taken out of context and twisted all around the world as Pete resenting David Beckham's arrival to the Galaxy.

The original BBC radio clip doesn't even have the entire interview, but just a snippet of Pete's answer, which appeared to be in regards to how were some players who make a lot less going to feel about Beckham's large salary - could there be any resentment that they were making so little?

As frank as ever, and well aware of how little some of his teammates make, Pete responded, "I think people that say ‘no’ would be lying. I think at first, as we all are fans of soccer, he is David Beckham, and a wise man once told me, ‘you are worth what you negotiate.’ But at the same time, of course there is resentment. I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t, but at the same time, he’s not stealing the money. So on one end you say ‘more power to him’ and the other end ‘why can’t I be getting some of that?’"

His statement was basically an indictment not of Beckham, but, rightly so, of a league structure that has other players making very little in comparision. Yet all around the world, Pete's statements were freely misinterpreted and taken as an attack against Beckham. Nick Green, another local writer, had fun mocking the whole episode.

Thing is, I'd talked to Pete the day Beckham's signing was public, when he was so effusive about Beckham coming, that I had quotes left over for another article that wasn't published until today. Somehow I doubt Pete dreams of aiding the national team comeback of a player he resents.