The Beckham Experiment
by Grant Wahl
There is still this ambivalence towards the sport in the US, despite the fact that Beckham is determined to try and up association football’s status in the States. And out of all the famous footballers I think he is the only one who can pull it off – this English-speaking superstar trying to break into America just like the Beatles and the Stones did in the 1960s.
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“There is still this ambivalence towards the sport in the US, despite the fact that Beckham is determined to try and up association football’s status in the States.” Read more...
The best books on Global Sport
Andrei Markovits, Political Scientist
This book tells the story of David Beckham’s carefully planned assault on Soccer in America, how he went to play for LA Galaxy with the intention—now well under way—of building his own club franchise in the country and building the sport’s popularity in the United States. The famous footballer as global business executive, with a carefully curated image, a huge staff and a well thought out, long-term strategy. A million miles away from Maradona’s chaotic rollercoaster of a life. It’s all very sensible and helps to remind us why Maradona was in a league of his own and will be sorely missed for all sorts of reasons.
