In defense of David Beckham
I've tried really hard over the last week, to look the other way, to whistle a happy tune and to leave the worst excuses for journalism off of this site. Still I have to set the record straight on two things. I'm sorry to even bring these issues up but they just won't die!
Firstly David Beckham never had, never announced, never hinted at an agreement for a $250 million salary for joining LA Galaxy. It would seem the press who really seized on the 250 million dollar figure and ran with it, and widely mis-reported the deal and how it was structured, are to add insult to injury by mis-reporting the deal a second time, this time under-valuing it. When the original details of David Beckham's contract were released it clearly stated it comprised salary, endorsements and profit-sharing, so given the endorsement and profit-sharing components haven't been quantified, why are the media collectively leaping up and down yelling it was exaggerated? Was it? Honestly? No one, not even David Beckham, knows for sure and it's going to take five years to find out. Still, the press who misreported it as a gauranteed 250 million in the first place are not about to admit they didn't accurately represent the deal and it's profit sharing components, no it is easier to scream they were misled. Yawn.
We have supposedly learnt from one anonymous source that David Beckham's base salary will be $5.5 million per year. We also know that David Beckham receives 50% of revenue from his image rights at this time but that when he joins LA Galaxy he will receive 100%, this income will be significantly larger than his base salary. However what his total annual earnings will be can not be stated to the dollar but it is projected to be in the region of 50 million per annum. That is unchanged. Sports Illustrated still have the most objective article on the deal and it's structure.
Now the second issue I'd like to address, is the stories circulating about the auctioning of a private soccer lesson with David Beckham to raise money for Elton John's AIDS Foundation. This story actually is depressing, because I had hoped the US Media would not be quite as cheap, nasty and tasteless at the British tabloids and sadly Becks hasn't even arrived in the US yet and we can see that they may in fact be worse. It seems to have somehow been forgotten that the lesson that was auctioned was donated to charity and donating your time to a good cause should be a good thing.
It is being widely reported that David Beckham's private lesson received the lowest bid this is not true. It is also widely reported that the lesson went for $70,000 and this is embarrassing because someone paid $250,000 to go to Elton John's Birthday party. However the package they actually bought included two tickets to Sir Elton John's private 60th birthday party in New York City, two premium seat tickets to his sold out concert at Madison Square Garden, airfare and accommodations. I would expect to pay more than three and a half times the amount for this package as I would pay for a soccer lesson. The only person who should be embarrassed is the person at Page six who took such a cheap and pathetic shot at David Beckham's act of charity.
Contrast that with the story that appears in this morning's Belfast Telegraph about a little boy who has undergone surgery in Spain that may enable him to walk, the surgery was paid for by money raised through an auction of memorabilia donated by David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and others. The auction raised 14,000 pounds, a sum that may help a brave little one take his first steps, a sum that makes a real difference to a real family in the real world. A sum that is anything but embarrassing and no money raised to help those who can not always help themselves is ever embarrasing for any of those involved.
Finally, on a lighter note, sorry for the rant, wasn't it nice to see in this mornings papers that Tom Hanks is a fan of David Beckham and is going to buy an LA Galaxy season ticket! I wonder if he knows that some Madridistas teasingly called Becks Forrest Gump because of how much running he does in a game :)
posted by rpm at 9:41 PM
9 Comments:
Although I am usually the chief worrier I want to offer a few words of comfort.
Salary: in the U.S. most of the old shock reports, and new "discovery" reports, are in tabloids--and a vast number only on their web-sites. The money is just a blip on the screen for sports fans here, they truly will wait to see how the sport looks with Becks, and are already watching more international football to brush up on what they'll be seeing.
Of more concern in those circles is how a team (The Galaxy) will gel with such a vast wage differential--the lowest annual salary being $11,700US--even if the issue is subconscious. The new figures are in line with what other top athletes make here, so not the same shock (possibly even a more realistic fantasy) for MLS players--a good thing.
The Auction: completely in the tabs--and even there the criticism is more often about how much Americans value soccer and not how much they value Becks.
Popular Opinion: the people on the street who will ultimately decide whether Becks (or any athlete) is successful here read Sports Illustrated, and/or will find the one decent football show in the U.S.--FOX Football Phone-in for those who live here or have scary satellite dishes--the British hosts of which have been spending loads of airtime on how fantastically Becks has been playing and also share our views on McClaren and the England squad.
For non-sports fans here, the two tidbits will be of more interest than the rag chatter. Clint Eastwood who declared himself a huge fan, known as a cowboy by much of the world, has come to be known as a serious thinker here since becoming a directer several years ago, but is still a fairly quiet guys so people are interested when he says something. And Tom Hanks is another who is not known to speak frivolously. Their quotes will actually sink in more than money and gossip stories that are always taken with a grain of salt and now lose even more credibility by contradicting themselves.
Hang on, because there are lots of good signs here, and the rest of the world gets the currently great view of the pitch!
In the meantime it is frustrating to read the crap, and I always appreciate reading your rebuttals.
5:07 AM
The salary story ran in all papers tabloid and not and in every country in the world. I take on board what you say about the auction story being a dig about soccer and that is true although headlines like "David Beckham Draws Embarrassing Auction Bid" sound like they are about David Beckham. As much as I would like to just dismiss stories that appear in the tabloids lets not forget they have the greater share of print media readership numbers. It's a shame but that's just the way it is :)
6:39 AM
he he yup Tom Hanks is a football fan :) I think I read somewhere that he follows the Premiership.
Marie
6:39 AM
With all the negativity, that's why Anna I only come here for any news on Beckham :)
Marie
6:50 AM
True, stories are in all papers, just shock value emphasized in tabs. It sometimes helps to think of how stories are viewed, but I guess not always...:(
I'm with Marie, best place to come for news is here. Happy to repeat how much of a relief I find fair perspectives of Anna and commentors.
7:27 AM
who on the galaxy only makes 11,700 dollars a year? You make more money working at McDonalds. I find that figure hard to believe. Are you sure that is a player and not a janitor at the stadium?
8:07 AM
Hi Tyler, the figures are from the washingtonpost.com at
http://www.washingtonpost.com
/wp-srv/sports/mls/longterm/
2006/mls.salaries.htmland
and refer to 2006 salaries. The wage gap is pretty big even before mention of Becks. Maybe they expect players to be able to work off season? I don't know the team or whether its possible to play part-time. I'm just starting to do my bit to get to know MLS. There must be some way the lower paid guys are supplementing their living, hopefully. If you make more sense of any of it I would be interested.
9:31 AM
Yea. Those are pretty striking numbers. My guess is that those lower paid players are on a reserve squad and hold other jobs. They would have to in order to survive, especially in LA. I know a guy from school that got drafted by the then metrostars two seasons ago i think in a practice squad type role. He was not listed on their official roster for the first team, so I assume that was his position. I'll see if I can find anything out.
10:06 AM
That helps relieve the urge to picket rather than watch games--which would hardly have been appropriate conduct for a devoted supporter!
12:36 PM
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