Sports: Soccer: European star soccer-player Beckham heads for LA, USA

Welcome to North America! Altho Los Angeles and its Galaxy pro-soccer franchise is faraway from Toronto, or any other part of Canada, soccer fans here got a boost from the news that David Beckham is joining Major League Soccer on the continent. He's already got an academy going in LA, since his visit in, to teach the sport to interested youngsters, so his hook-up with Galaxy is not without anticipations. Here in Toronto, we're feeling great about the new major stadium being built for the sport.

Christian Science Monitor's Mark Sappenfield has a piece "What Beckham's 'bend' means for US soccer" (Jan16,2k7). It's a rather snotty article actually--one that, besides using in scare quotes the questionable word "bend," refers also to his "dreamy hair" (twice), to his "paparazzi-perfect smile," and even to his "Spice Girl wife" (but no mention that they are the proud parents of three kids).

There is a factual core to the piece worth reading, but for all the skewered personal references, there's no pix to give us a sense of the reality of the man. Shame on CSM for all the speculation on DB and his future. The article is overwrawt in heaping supermanish expectations and respnsiblities on the sportsman, and really rather unwelcoming.

Sports, by Sportikos

For my part, I think Beckham will do his best to give North American soccer a leg up. But most of all, he'll be positioned in LA. He'll have the run of the TV talk shows, advertizing opportunities for products bearing his name or his endorsement, and ... and I'd bet, after soccer, he's got movies in the back of his mind. His wife--her name is Victoria, Mr Sappenfield--mite enjoy, when the kids are older, some performing / acting gigs as well.

Again, welcome to North America!