Cuban: Beckham Will Help MLS
(Soccer365.com) - Dallas Mavericks owner and HDTV maven Mark Cuban believes the acquisition of David Beckham will be a huge boost to the league’s bottom line.
“The challenge for MLS is you need a poster boy, somebody that attracts everyone's attention wherever he's at and brings media attention to the sport,” Cuban, whose HDTV network shows MLS weekly, told the Houston Chronicle.
“I don't know if you can put a dollar value on it, but you are going to see a net result value in terms of visibility,” he continued. “If you talk to people around the league, they are selling tickets.”
“People are calling and asking about when they are playing the Galaxy and trying to buy tickets for that - that's a new event for MLS.”
“Other than Freddy (Adu) there really wasn't anybody who drove ticket sales — maybe Landon (Donovan) a little bit,” concluded Cuban.
“It really is a unique event for MLS, and the telltale sign is in ticket sales and coverage during the season.”
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Comments
It will be a boost having Beckham in the MLS yes. I still don't think it will be a long term boost dispite all the press & media hype. One thing I've learned since living in America is nothing stays popular for very long. Peoples' attention spans here tend to wane very fast. Everything from sports, to religion & politics are designed as clever & quick ways to make money. I'm reading that other players' within the MLS are being asked to take pay cuts & play for less which is not good. I've also noticed that many players from Europe & South America have their ears' perked up a bit now & want the same if not more of what Beckham will get & they won't get it so this doesn't encourage me either. Like I said Beckham will come & he will go dispite what others may think & say & when this whole era passes & it will pass I don't think the MLS will be as a whole that much better.
Posted by: DynastySoccerFC ...Rasputin | February 9, 2007 06:05 PM
The MLS will never succeed in the USA simply because there were so many other sports here first. Beckham will help, and so will rumors of Zizou possibly going to the Red Bulls (I'll admit, that wouild be pretty cool), but MLS will never be a huge smash in America like it is in Europe, simply because in Europe, soccer was first. MLS's ratings might get boosted for a couple years, but it will never go huge forever. Check the history books. New York Cosmos sign Pele and the NASL goes huge for a couple years. Pele retires, NASL survives one more year before going under. MLS has been around long enough to prove that they will stay longer than the NASL, but it will never be a huge success.
Posted by: Adam | February 9, 2007 11:02 PM
Not news. Beckham is going to do for the Galaxy what Pele did for the Cosmos. Would anybody remember the Cosmos if not for the presence of Pele? NO, need to build the league around young guns Adu and Josmer Altidore.
Posted by: Tesoro | February 10, 2007 04:19 PM
Ras, you have made some pretty intelligent comments on this site, but I have to say this is by far the truest and most intelligent thing I've read on this site. You've got America pinned. Everything is about money, even religion. Beckham is just another flashy gimmick to take more money from the consumer, but as you said it will come and go like everything else in the usa.
Posted by: giova * * * * | February 10, 2007 04:22 PM
I don't want to burst Adams bubble but Adu has been showing interest in playing overseas. If he did go, it would be the best career move he could make.
Posted by: giova * * * * | February 10, 2007 04:24 PM
I meant tesoros bubble
Posted by: giova * * * * | February 10, 2007 04:25 PM
One more thing, what the heck does Cuban know about soccer anyways? And who cares what he thinks.
Posted by: giova * * * * | February 10, 2007 04:46 PM
Beckham is a terrible example of soccer. He went from being somewhat of a real soccer player to just another celebrity who goes with the flow and has no real morals or loyalty. He goes wherever he can find the spotlight which is what, for some unfortunate reason, we Americans like. People in the US will begin to like Beckham, not soccer. Beckham is all about the money nothing else matters to him, what 'icon' to bring over...
Posted by: Task | February 10, 2007 06:05 PM
appearence is the only boost this "pretty-boy" will give to the mls. all he does is put the ball in dangerous areas and thats it. he is not a complete player whatsoever.
Posted by: matt | February 10, 2007 07:04 PM
Couldn't have put it better giova. First: Cuban knows nothing about soccer, just money. Second: Adu should have started in Europe, he would have grown way more. By the way, Altidore shouldn't make Freddy's mistake and try to jump across the pond as well.
Posted by: Adam | February 10, 2007 09:06 PM
I like the article that they had up here a couple weeks ago, the one where Buffon said Beckham was a "lost footballer." He was right, Beckham is just doing it for money, not for american soccer. Everyone knows it so I don't know why Beckham denies it was a pure money-move.
Posted by: Adam | February 10, 2007 09:10 PM
Yeah everybody knows it except the stupid fad chasing Americans that will buy all his cheap MLS crap for about a year at best.
Posted by: Sam Adams | February 10, 2007 09:23 PM
2 /10/07 good GOD can you see what happen today pure luck beckham score for real mad.
yes a free kick through the stupid wall.
boy when luck is on your side . living in new york i think we americans are fool . the beckham story will flop after a year or less.
Posted by: soccer dr. nyc | February 11, 2007 01:35 AM
Doc usually I hammer you about what you post here but this time I agree with you. Yes for a little while the Beckham Buzz will be everywhere in America no matter if we like it or not. It will all fade though just like all the processed cheap image hype garbage that is thrown at Americans on a daily basis. They will soon get bored & cry for something new.
Posted by: Sam Adams | February 11, 2007 04:14 AM
That's not even 10 mnuiets well spent!
Posted by: Fleta | January 6, 2012 03:10 PM