David Beckham's gamble paid off for everyone

Opposites don't always attract, but sometimes they lead to the greatest creations. Think peanut butter and jelly. Okay, so maybe they're not exactly opposites, but come on. A thick fluid paired with something that can barely hold its own shape, easily shaken. Stick with me for a second. In 2007, David Beckham was a star who transcended the sport of soccer. A household name, whether you knew him through footy or not. By 07, Major League Soccer had only existed for 11 years, still severely struggling to find its footing. So when a massive star lands in a floundering league, it looks like a recipe for disaster. But give it a chance, and it could lead to a pairing that becomes impossible to separate. David Beckham's decision to join Major League Soccer is a big deal. It can't be understated just how massive of a phenom David Beckham was. Sure, being absurdly handsome and marrying a Spice Girl certainly didn't hurt, but damn was the bloke deadly on the pitch. Debuting for Manchester United at just 17, Becks went on to compile one of the greatest resumes in English football history with the Red Devils. Success on the field set him up for even more fame off him. Whether it was fashion ads, endless headlines about his hairstyles, or being dubbed a sex symbol who just happened to play a sport, one way or the other, you knew the name David Beckham. Shit, they made an entire movie inspired by his free kick technique, and he was too busy to even appear in it. However, longtime Man United manager Sir Alex Ferguson felt the glitz and glam pulled his star away from football, leaving the tension between them that eventually spilled into the public. Following a 2003 FA Cup loss to Arsenal, Ferguson famously lost it and kicked the cleat across the locker room, cutting Becks over the eye. Beckham called it an accident, but the damage had already been done. Intense transfer speculation followed, prompting journalists to believe the club would sooner sack Ferguson than lose the absurdly popular Beckham. When the transfer window ultimately opened, Beckham found himself on a new squad going from the biggest club in England to arguably the biggest in the world, joining Spanish giants Real Madrid. The move was a spectacle, and Beck's markability alone pushed Madrid into a different financial stratosphere. But the club's game plan of stacking the world's greatest stars never delivered the success expected. Behind the scenes, the organization was a mess, cycling through six different managers in just four years, and Beckham himself appeared to be approaching the twilight of his career. At 31 on the international stage, Beck swatched his country fall to Portugal on pins of the 2006 World Cup and was dropped from the England national team a month later. At the club level, it wasn't much better. Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello made it clear he had no use for Becks, pitching him frequently at the start of the season as Beckham entered the final year of his contract, leaving his future with the club uncertain. Earlier in 2006, Beckham fully expected to hang up his boots as a member of Madrid, denying that any thought of leaving had ever crossed his mind. As both sides entered contract negotiations, talk stalled over image rights percentages. With the official transfer window approaching in the new year, the point at which Becks would be free to talk to other clubs, it became clear his time in Madrid might be over. Set to turn 32, experts believe he was far from his peak, but his global fame alone was enough to attract serious interest. Which seemed to be exactly the case. But what were his options? Behind door number one, we know for a fact that Real offered a two-year extension. Beckham had undoubtedly fallen out of favor with the coach, but if you're the team president, of course you feel inclined to offer the lad who skyrocketed your club's value a contract rather than let him walk for free. But for David, just how enticing is it to return to a team that spent the better part of a year making it known they didn't want you on the field just to ride the bench as a sideshow? Behind door number two is what I can only describe as a clusterfuck of media speculation linking him to a Premier League return, a move to Asia, Italy, why the hell does a mostly failing league in the United States have interest, and on and on. Rumors flew around left and right, and whether they had any legitimate merit, the common denominator was simply the allure of adding a larger-than-life star like Beckham to your roster. As a global icon, countries that weren't even particularly keen on soccer, like Japan and Qatar, were reportedly linked to Beck's unnamed recognition alone. In Italy, Ender Milan was said to be a solid suitor because, get this, Beck's and his wife are stylish, so of course landing in one of the fashion capitals of the world made sense. Although from a technical standpoint, Ender's technical director didn't quite buy into the buzz. Those slim-fit tunnel suits really woulda hit though. A return to the prim made the most logical sense. His home country, his roots, and a league he knew better than anyone after spending the majority of his career racking up accolades at Man Utd. A club so special to Beckham that he couldn't imagine rocking the gear of another Premier League side. Not that the triumphant comeback was ever really on the table, his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson was still rocky. So, never say never, as interest from other clubs in the league was very real. Though, media members wondered if he still had the juice to compete at the elite level, with most expecting a more middling club to be his realistic destination. Again, there was a ton of hearsay flying around, but one development quite literally came from an undercover investigation. Former English national manager Sven-Joran Eriksson, the man who handed Beckham the captain's armband, got caught up speaking very matter-of-factly that he could persuade Beckham to join him at Aston Villa. It's an absurd story involving Eriksson getting finessed by reporters posing as sheiks, but the manager firmly knew Beckham missed the land of bangers and mash and was tired of taking L's in Madrid. Now, this is all coming from a guy being a little too loose with the lips, but it speaks to just how close the two were. So much so that when Eriksson was later rumored to take the reins at French club Marseille, Beckham's name was quickly linked there as well. Our boy Sven gets around, huh? But let's take Eriksson and his word for a second. If someone that close to Beckham knew he was homesick and tired of losing, then why was a club thousands of miles away and a league barely a decade old reportedly the frontrunner to land him? The Los Angeles Galaxy were Major League Soccer's crown jewel, but just how much did that mean in a league that nearly went extinct just a few years prior? It ain't the best look when league executives and top players don't even buy into the possibility. Plus, we've seen this story before. Back in the 70s, America tried to establish footy as a major sport when the North American Soccer League went after massive stars like Pele, drawing some attention before losing steam and folding entirely. Yet the Galaxy were a team repeatedly reported to be in the mix, an idea that also might have been sparked by Becks himself. On multiple occasions, Beckham had spoken openly about his interest in eventually landing in America. Let's focus on this for a second. Beck said this in April of 06 before he was dropped by the national team and benched by Madrid. I would assume those humbling moments fall into the category of things changing. California wasn't some foreign land to Beckham either. In 2005, the international star partnered with entertainment group AEG to establish a soccer academy in Southern California. Those partners also just happened to be the majority owners of the Galaxy. Soooooo… When L.A.'s front office threw their name behind wanting Beckham, one of few clubs who publicly did so besides Madrid, and prior to the official transfer window at that, you wouldn't be blamed for thinking both sides had been cooking up a plan for some time. Hell, even the commissioner of the league was on board. Still, bringing Beckham to MLS was a pipe dream as the league didn't have the capacity to do so. Oh, wait, wait, wait. You're telling me they created an entire rule in November of 2006, named after Beckham, that would specifically allow teams to land players outside the salary cap? Huh. And he was willing to miss training with Madrid to jet over to Italy and watch his Hollywood friends, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes get married that same month? Where are your priorities, David? Anyway, just a day after Madrid and David's camp announced they were still weighing the revised two-year extension, Beck's made it official. His next chapter would be in La La Land. The guy who had built his legend across Europe's biggest stages had options on the table, but was ready for new pastures in LA. His decision left critics with no shortage of opinions. Some believed it was simply a cash grab. Others felt the move was a massive gamble for both sides, but if his mission to make soccer a household sport in America was genuine, then it could only be truly accomplished by committing to MLS. And others figured Beck's was simply hitting the sunset of his career, unwilling to take the ego hit of signing with a lesser European club, making America the path of least resistance. One of those believers was his own manager. After Beckham's announcement, Capello declared David's time at Madrid was finished. Then Madrid's club president took it a step further, calling Beckham a Hollywood wannabe with fading talent that no major club wanted anyway. Shit, tell us how you really feel, guys. However, Capello's tune changed a bit later in the season as Beckham not only returned to the pitch, but also played a crucial role in leading Madrid to their first La Liga title since his arrival. Real's president had a change of heart as well, and even tried exploring options in Beckham's contract to bring him back, which Galaxy officials swiftly shut down. That summer, Beckham was officially off to LA. After finishing his tenure in Madrid strongly, proving he had plenty left in the tank, the question again arose as to why Beck's decided to go what was universally seen as an inferior league. The contract was inescapable. The reported $250 million were later revealed to be an inflated figure padded by several outside deals, with his actual yearly salary coming in much lower. However, the unique kicker in Beckham's contract was the ability to purchase a franchise from the low upon retirement. Naturally, people called bullshit, fixating on the big number and pointing out how a move to LA conveniently played well for his wife's ambitions too. But if David's goal was to truly grow the game in a country that didn't fully appreciate it, buying into the league from the inside sounds like a pretty smart play. However, his initial time in MLS was a mixed bag. He brought excitement to the league, but injuries sidelined him for his first couple of seasons, during which he played sparingly for LA. Then came the 2009 loan to AC Milan, which raised serious questions about his true commitment to the league. Was he genuinely invested in American soccer, or was he simply using MLS as a training ground to eventually return to the big boys in Europe? When he returned, Galaxy fans let him hear it. But as always, winning cures all. And when David later helped lead the club to back-to-back titles, all was forgotten. But taking a gamble to win more trophies in the fledgling league isn't what made this a big deal. Beckham's impact on MLS as a whole is the real story. Numbers don't lie. In just a 10-year span since his arrival, the league grew dramatically. More teams, more players, and more bread flowing into everyone's pockets. He transcended the sport, bringing more eyes to the game, which meant bigger broadcast deals and a far greater worldwide presence. The decision to bend the salary cap rules to accommodate Beckham opened the door for international stars to follow, laying out a blueprint that soccer could not only survive in America, but thrive. And when he eventually bought a team of his own with Inter Miami, he helped bring arguably the greatest player of all time to American soil. David Beckham's arrival in MLS stands as one of the most pivotal moments in the league's history. And that, without question, is a very big deal. I appreciate you checking out this episode of Big Deal. Hope you enjoyed it, because we got plenty more over here where that came from.