Dave,
He has done what he said. If you asked someone from France or Norway what the MLS is two years ago, then you would get a huh? Come on. He is not a liar. Look at the crap players that were put around him. He is a world class player that we could not believe would come to the MLS. Now we condem him for leaving. He has no obligation to the MLS. He is British. If I were him and had to endure the season he went through. I would leave too. He is still able to start at AC Milan. Even Juan Pablo Angel was losing his spot. He would have gone to a bottom of the table English club. The guy only has a little more time left to feel the glory and then he is only a memory. Thank you for deciding to make the move to MLS (for whatever reason) and good luck showing that not only over the hill players can come and play here.

TL, his contract is for 5 years, but with a 3 year out clause. He said he was in this for the long hall, there was talk that he was going to be bigger than any athlete, for any sport – ever.

He wasn’t even close. The most successful expansion team in history sold 19,000 season tickets without seeing Beckham play. 3 of the 4 highest kit sponsorships went to clubs that Beckham never considered (Microsoft, Amway, VW with Herbalife the other).

Even yet MLS isn’t to the heights that the NASL was. It still gets a .8 TV rating for its Final. Average attendance still hasn’t reached year one, though trending upwards.

Beckham’s US goals failed. He’s moving on, the league is better for it, but we should not pretend that his brand hasn’t been damaged through an attempted extension that never worked.

You make some good points about the goals put forth. However, he had no control over his teams innability to put a quality team on the field. Even with a player now with Bayern M. and another with AC Milan, not making the playoffs. Not his fault. 70-80% of the comments on blogs, chats, and tv bashed him for one reason or another. Again, I ask the question. If you were him and you had every intention on bringing a small league into the big time and your team was as bad as his. Your losing every bit of hype you came with and people are bashing you left and right, instead of praising your work ethic and family values. Would you not change your mind? Instead of respecting him for his achievments and how he got to this point, It was all about how to tear down the hansome multi-millionaire. If the Galaxy had of made a strong showing and real soccer fans had of engaged him, then I believe he would have seen it as a calling of sorts. If your not respected for what you do best, then go somewhere where you are. Sorry for the long winded answer.

TL, you might realize that I prefer long winded answers and debate over the typical internet crud.

For me the issue with the Galaxy had to do with their inability to find an adequete keeper along with defense. They tried a big money guy at Centerback and it didn’t work. I don’t blame Beckham for that at all. In fact he has been better with LA than he was with Madrid.

BUT, part of the problem is that he distanced himself from the league and the media so much. That might seem odd, but if you look at his time here he almost never did soccer interviews.

True. We have to realize that he is not just a good player and recognized in the US. He is a world player and everyone should be happy that he had a reason to come here in the first place. Were not talking about Matt Hasselback or Kobe Bryant. Were talking about someone who knows there is a world outside of the United States. Compare Ichiro a little, would be close. He definitely could have given a few more interviews, or gone something like Football Phone Inn. But again, he is an icon and we don’t have that here in soccer. If the league grows, then get used to many more just the same. Again, slightly long winded.