U.S. welcoming to international sports stars

Josh Bleiberg Guest Writer

Here in the United States, sports leagues have never shied away from importing international stars in an effort to rejuvenate enthusiasm among American sport fans. One of the most recent examples is Britain’s David Beckham, who left his club team Real Madrid to sign a quarter billion dollar contract with Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Los Angeles Galaxy. At 31 years old, Beckham is no young superstar, but his European following is expected to at least attract more media attention to the league, if not increase MLS game attendance.

MLS made bringing Beckham to Los Angeles possible only after recent changes to their league regulations. The “Beckham Rule” will allow each MLS team to sign one “designated player” who won’t count against their $2 million dollar salary cap. The MLS will also pay $400,000 of that player’s salary per year. This change opens the door for other teams to sign big names like Ronaldo and Luis Figo, players who can finally help bring soccer into the mainstream of American sports.

Already, the Los Angeles Galaxy Web site (www.la.galaxy.mlsnet.com) has advertisements boasting “Beckham Comes to America” followed by information on how to buy game tickets. On the football pitch, Beckham is known for his role as a former captain of the English national team, and especially for his game winning goals in his three World Cup appearences. But off the field, he is better identified by his marriage to ex-Spice Girl Victoria Adams, as well as his role in the media, including the motion picture Bend It Like Beckham, which was inspired by his superior soccer skills. In 2004 Time magazine even named him to their list of “100 Heroes and Icons.”

In an official press conference on Jan. 12 Beckham admitted that his move to the Galaxy was related to his popularity. “I’m coming [to the United States] not to be a superstar. I’m coming [here] to be part of the team, to work hard and to hopefully win things,” said Beckham. “With me, it’s about football. I’m coming there to make a difference...I’m not saying me coming over to the States is going to make soccer the biggest sport in America. That would be difficult to achieve...But I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think I could make a difference.”

This isn’t the first time that an American sports league has recruited international players in an effort to revitalize a professional league. Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé, made a journey similar to Beckham’s.

In 1975, after his retirement from Brazilian football, Pelé came to play American soccer in the North American Soccer League (NASL) for the New York Cosmos. In 1977, his third and final season, he led the Cosmos to an NASL championship. The peak of “Pelé mania” was the sold-out exhibition game at Giants Stadium in October 1977. Pelè played the first half of the game for the Cosmos and the second half for his old Brazilian team, Santos. After Pelé, a number of great soccer players came to play in the NASL, including George Best, Gordon Banks and Franz Beckenbauer. However, even the great Pelé couldn’t keep soccer popular in the United States. The NASL folded, and with its failure, soccer moved further from the spotlight.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has seen a recent surge in foreign talent in the draft as well. One example is Yao Ming, the 7’6” Chinese center for the Houston Rockets. Like the Galaxy, the Rockets signed Ming for reasons other than his athletic prowess. Drafting Ming opened up the market of the most populous nation in the world to the game of basketball. Rockets games are broadcast in China and the overall popularity of the game is growing. In today’s NBA, foreign players like Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, and Steve Nash are some of the biggest stars.

Baseball scouts have also had a long history of leaving America to search foreign countries for talented ball players. In the past, some of the game’s greatest stars have come from Latin America, including Roberto Clemente, Juan Marichal and Luis Aparicio. Major league franchises today have shifted their focus to Asia. In past years, baseball mega stars like Ichiro Suzuki and, most recently, Daisuke Matsuzaka have found new homes in America. These players have also brought with them the admiration and money of millions of Japanese baseball fans.

In this increasingly globalized world economy, it is unlikely that Beckham’s signing will be the last example of this trend. Professional sports organizations will continue to look overseas to find new sources of revenue, including talent that can bring more fans to American sports.