This morning, via email:
I just saw your article re: Red Bulls v. LA Galaxy game.
When David Beckham was good he was playing for Manchester. No great soccer players come to play for MSL. How many great NBA players go to Europe to play basketball? I agree with you, that he is a skilled player, but does not have the desire to play the game with passion anymore!
David Beckham is just a celebrity. When have seen him, since he moved here, more in tuxedo, than in Galaxy uniform. He was never a soccer superstar. Never was No. 1 in Europe. He's coach (Gullit) was a much better player.
If LA Galaxy fans think that Beckham will bring them the title they are dreaming.
Regards.
10 comments:
Probably just jealous that the future Sir David Beckham isn't playing for his club.
Isn't this e-mail about 6 months old? I thought we got passed this already. Your inbox has my sympathy, Andrea
Some people had to have thought David was a good player when he came runner up for player of the year twice, but I think david will always have haters and debaters about how good he is or was. What really got me was the part of the email where the guy says that david "does not have the desire to play the game with passion anymore". This is when I just knew the emailer was full of crap. A person with no passion for the game does not fly half way around the world to play in a game and then fly back to play another soccer match 24 hours later, with an injury no less. A person with no passion for the game doesn't play when his ankle is swollen up like a balloon. You can argue about how good beckham is and is he more athlete or celebrity but I don't think anyone can argue david's passion for soccer. Even the last game against NY, in which he didn't play his best, you can't fault him on his desire. He was running his ass off and trying to get the team back in it. I think beckham has played well this year. Does this guy remember last year, the Galaxy couldn't score for shit. Now they are the highest scoring team in the league. What will prevent the galaxy from winning the title is not beckham but our atrocious defense. If you're going to blame anything then blame the MLS salary cap.
I'm a Culé through and through and I'll still give DB props. If you just got called for England, you're a great player. If said call was your 100th cap, you're a rockstar. Period.
But as a Fire fan, I'll say this. He's no Blanco...
Didn't Dominique WIlkins win a league Championship in Europe after he retired from the NBA?
Obviously, this e-mailer has not seen Beckham play this year. Regardless of whether his skills have declined, nobody can fault Beckham's determination. If the man didn't care, then he wouldn't have bothered to get himself fit to play by training in Britain over the winter at Arsenal's facilities.
Let's put this garbage to rest once and for all. Maradona, George Best and Paul Gasgoine were all more talented than Beckham, no question. But they were also self-involved, self-destructive prima donnas. Regardless of what Beckham is, he certainly isn't self-involved or self-destructive.
Great post, Joseph. I couldn't have said it better!
Beckham has certain skills that are fantastic. Pinpoint passes to running heads 40-50 yds away are every bit as important to the game and just as difficult as speedy dribbling in heavy traffic. Whether DB is a great all-around player or not is almost irrelevant. He brings a level of expertise to parts of the game that nobody else in the last decade has been able to do. Let people knock him down for what he does not do so well, but not for what he does do so very well. Frankly, I think the combination of Beckham and Donovan is one of the best that could possibly grace any soccer field.
Larry, I hope your comment is all in the context of MLS.
@Pat: you are correct about Nique playing in Europe. In fact, he spent two stints in Europe but ended his career in the NBA with the Magic. So much for this e-mailers 'no great NBA players would go to Europe' I know there have been others as well but I am far too tire to verify them.
Beckham is a very very good player. Is he a top 10 of all time talent? No. Would he make just about any team on earth better with his presence on the field? Absolutely.
The man was captain for a top 25 national team more than 40 times and won titles with 2 of the biggest clubs in the world and a CL title. How much more does he have to do to prove validate his status as a world class player?
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