It's Football Day!
Alright ladies & gents, it's a big day of football today. Galaxy will take on DC (at DC) - lineup here. Preview here.

Kickoff 12pm ET.

TV: ABC (in America)

Online: Options here. It appears to be only one option, which requires both Sopcast and VLC software together. Get them here, install both, then go back to the page with the link of live feeds, and click the one with the green dot to launch Sopcast automatically.

Radio: AM 570 (Eng), 1330 AM (Esp) - listen live to both here

Text: ESPN has its usual text commentary and graphic Gamecast.

Go Galaxy!

For more football fun, stick around on ABC (or online check out the options here) to watch the Euro 2008 (it still stings England's not there...) final between Spain and Germany. It should be a great one.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela
The Beckhams prerecorded messages played at Mandela's birthday celebration in London. Unfortunately I could not find any English clips on YouTube; this is them overdubbed in another language, but at least you can see it. If you want to see the messages without overdub you can see them on BBC.



Galaxy vs. DC
Tomorrow the Galaxy play DC United in what will be a well-televised match. I'll have the details just before the game, so that our international viewers especially can find the p2p at its optimum. Here is a match preview. Here's an article about the TV coverage. Game time is 12pm ET.


Underwear Obsession
Well...take it or leave it...anybody who's interested in how Becks colour-codes his underwear, Click here.

Becks Blogs
Hi everyone,

Well I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures but last week I went to San Francisco to see the unveiling of the new Emporio Armani campaign I shot a while back. To be honest I was amazed by the huge billboard poster outside Macy’s department store, but even more amazed by the amount of people who turned up to see it! I’m always surprised by the amount of attention certain things create, but the attention this campaign has created is pretty incredible. It was great to meet some of the people who’d come out especially though, I’ve always wanted to visit San Francisco, so it was a great to finally get there...
Moving onto the football - Saturday’s game was a bit of a disappointment to say the least. We were 2-0 up and playing at home, so we should have closed out the game, but credit to Columbus Crew, they came back at us and forced a draw. We did get a point, but it feels like a loss to be honest. We need to make our stadium a fortress and win our games there and not give anything away, not just in defence, but also from the forwards and the midfield.
At the moment it’s just the consistency, it’s all about finishing off teams and holding onto leads. Sometimes it just needs a bit of calmness. It’s all a learning process and we will get better, it’s just about getting the mix right.

That’s all for now

David


Becks's Fizzy Water
Source David Beckham is considering terminating his two-million -pounds deal with fizzy drinks firm Pepsi, and launching his own brand of bottled water.

Pepsi is still very much willing to extend the former England Captain’s contract, expiring this year, and is leaving no stone unturned to persuade him to stay. "David Beckham has had a fantastic relationship with Pepsi - it's one of the longest running contracts in its history”” The Daily Express quoted a source, as saying.

"But after 10 years he feels there are other things he could do. He is a global brand in himself and there is more scope for him to promote his own products. He has an idea for creating a range of healthy products, including water. That's something PepsiCo might develop with him.

"David is keen to go down the healthy route to keep in with his sporty image. And Pepsi is desperate to keep him. So who knows..." the source added.

Becks’ dip in water might please the Consumer Association's Which? Magazine, that condemned his promoting fizzy drinks after he starred in an advert for Pepsi's social net-working site, pepsiyouniverse.com.


"Believe the Hype"
"Believe the hype: Beckham now meeting expectations" - so says this article about his effect on MLS. Lots of Lalas quotes, some quotes from David.

"We are in a partnership with David, and we are going to maximize what we have and this platform that we have to strengthen the Galaxy brand," Lalas said. "And we will use him, and he will use us."

Indeed, the success of both Beckham and the team has allowed the Galaxy to operate more like a well-balanced franchise rather than showcase vehicle for a single player.

Visiting Alcatraz

The Beckhams visited the Alcatraz prison in California, which is an important part of history there. Some say it's haunted, many agree it's definitely "creepy". It's cool that they go and visit places like that with the kids which can be both fun and educational at the same time.
I also read that they might be planing to demolish the place soon. It would be a shame. I have no reliable source for this, it's just something I came across while researching for this post :)

Here are some photos.


More Match Photos

When I updated the gallery with last Saturday's match, I only found around 15 but today I found about 40 more, see them all in the gallery here.


David in Grazia Magazine
David appeared in Grazia magazine recently here are 2 pictures.
You can see a quote from David about the photo shoot (pictures in the gallery here).

"Around the house, we are happy being naked, but on the shoot I was quite uncomfortable.


David to be a presenter at ESPY Awards
Justin Timberlake will be the Host while David Beckham will be a presenter along with others such as Zac Efron, Kristen Bell, Luke Wilson and Lance Armstrong.
You can see more and some "time capsules" videos, visit ESPN here.

Stupid Stories
I'm going to mention this because I've come across it a few times in my research but I find the whole thing a bit retarded frankly. Apparently David "disappointed a young fan" by not showing up for a charity event. The mother of the kid supposedly spent $7000 for her son to meet David, you can read more about it here.
But more research reveals that it's all the charity's fault, apparently David was never even scheduled to go there, he or his "people" didn't even know of the event.
I think the mother should get her facts straight before starting to badmouth David but what else is new.
Anyways, quite a dumb story but it's not the first one nor the last I'm sure :)

Labels: alcatraz prison, david beckham, grazia magazine

The Match
(source) After getting an early lead of 2-0 early in the second half, the L.A. Galaxy failed to finish them off and tied the game at 3-3. Still better than a loss but there definitely would have been room for improvement as Beckham puts it at after the match:

"It feels like it was a loss. We were in front 2-0. We need to learn how to finish games off. We were ahead 1-0 at halftime when we felt like we should have had three or four. Overall, we are disappointed to draw a game at home. It is a point and we will move forward, but we are disappointed with it."

You can see from the pictures he looks disappointed but some of that also comes from missing a scoring opportunity on his part which would have given them the lead and most likely - the win late in the game. He had this to say about that one:

"Sometimes they go in and sometimes they don't," Beckham said. "Obviously I am disappointed to not finish the game off there."
...
"The grass gave way just as I struck the ball," Beckham said. "To hit it so far off from that distance something must have happened. It felt like a penalty I took once against Portugal and if you watch the video as I went to strike the ball it actually lifted up from my standing foot."

"When you get an opportunity like that in the last few minutes to win the game, of course it is disappointing not to score it,"

He also commented on the teams apparent tendency to give out late goals, leaving the feeling like no lead is big enough early on and that they must score as much as possible to ensure the win.

"It does seem that way at times," Beckham said. "It is a learning process for the team and all the players and we will get better at that."


Game Highlights
Here is a video of the game highlights:


As a side-note. We apologize for not getting the match times and links to watch, etc as usual. Dina is having a bit of technical difficulties, she should be back some time next week but in the meantime, you are stuck with me :)... I'll try not to let you down too much :)

Labels: columbus crew, david beckham

A Brief Moment with Beckham
Following the underwear ad unveiling in San Francisco, a lucky writer had the chance to briefly interview David. Excerpts:

This is David Beckham's first time in San Francisco: "Just driving around the streets you can see the different fashions of different people. It's similar to London. ... It's one of those places where you can drive or walk around the streets and people are dressed great. ... I've always wanted to visit here, and it's a great excuse. I'm having a good time so far."

David Beckham isn't worried about the attention the campaign created: "I think I'm always surprised by the attention that certain things create. But the attention that the campaign created was pretty incredible. I was shocked, but obviously it was great for Armani. It was what they wanted, and what they love to create and what sells the items. So it's great." Read more here


Galaxy vs Columbus Crew
Tomorrow the Galaxy face the Crew (we'll bring you viewing options closer to game time, stay tuned). Check out a preview piece here. Landon will return to the team and hopefully the Beckham/Donovan partnership will fire up again!


Cruise Leads Becks to Fencing
Tom Cruise has persuaded friends Will Smith and David Beckham to take up fencing.

The 'Top Gun' star has become a huge fan of the combat sword sport and has convinced his good pals to get involved as it gives the men a chance to spend some quality time together.

Will revealed: "Tom has a room for training. We don't get enough time to hang out, just us three guys, so this is his way of getting together and bonding. David and I go to his home and just do fencing. It's a lot of fun." Read full piece here

New Armani Ad
I found some fan videos of the Armani unveiling and signing yesterday:







Of the event, it's said:

A Macy's worker tells British tabloid The Sun: "San Francisco hasn't seen anything like this for years.

"There were thousands of girls there to see David and his new Armani ad. And they were all going crazy. They were screaming and pushing each other to try and get a closer look.

"When the ad was unveiled, there was a collective ‘ooh' before the screams started again.

"Seriously, it was like Beatlemania scenes. David thought it was funny." (Source)

And the ad was one of the most searched-for keywords on Google today - at a whopping #15 on today's Google trend is "david beckham armani".


Teaching Will Smith
David Beckham is to teach Will Smith how to play football, the Hollywood actor has revealed.

Smith, who is in London to promote his new film Hancock, said he had begged the England football star to coach him.

"David Beckham is one of the best 'soccer' players in the world," Smith said.

"I begged him to teach me how to play and he promises he will. We can't wait!" Read more here.


No More Excuses
David Beckham has urged England to put an end to the 'excuses' after admitting he has felt 'physically sick' watching Euro 2008.

[...]

"It has been tough actually bringing myself to watch a game. I actually feel physically sick watching the games," the 32-year-old told Sky Sports News.

"We should be there, but it is just one of those things. We move on, it is in the past. We move onto World Cup qualifiers now.


"We always sit in front of the press guys and say 'this could be it, we have a great team and great individuals and we have the belief'.


"But we always come up with excuses and that has got to stop. We need to go into a competition with the belief, and we need to win something.


"We have big games coming up and we have to prove to people that we belong on the big stage. For us, not qualifying for the Euros was devastating. We have to put that right by qualifying well." Full article here.

Armani underwear launch
Today David was meeting, greeting as well as signing autographs for fans at Macy's in San Fransisco. Nice picture for the ladies in the gallery, here. As I understand it, it was the launch of a second type of underwear since there was already another similar launch a few months back. If any of you avid fans know the exact details of the occasion, please let me know and I will clarify it here.

So what do you think of them? Why not discuss it in the forums...

New Blog Post
David also made a new blog post on his official site, here it is:

Hi everyone,

It was great to look at the league table after Saturday's game against the San Jose Earthquakes and see the Galaxy at the top of the Western Conference. We have a game in hand over Houston Dynamo, so we'll definitely want the three points in that match to cement our position at the top.
Obviously, everyone was really pleased to get another win away from home. We are a good team but we just have to make sure we stay focused over the course of the season, because if we do that we have an excellent chance of reaching the playoffs.
Once the guys who are away on international duty return, we'll be back to full strength, but with the likes of Landon Donovan away, it has given a chance to Edson Buddle to make a name for himself and he deserves full credit for grabbing the chance. Against the Earthquakes he scored his second hat trick of the season, which is a great achievement. He's a very good player and getting better with every game.
Columbus Crew are next on Saturday and we look forward to that game as we do any other.

Take care,
David

More pictures
The frequent visitors may have noticed that I have increased my efforts to bring you the latest pictures more frequent and with more volume. I have been making some efforts to try and dig deep in the web to find all the juicy pictures for you. Sometimes, I find more pictures for a certain date too. For example today, I found more pictures for the Lakers game on June 15.

Eventually, we will have a "newly added" section which would display like the latest 50 pictures or so; to make it easier to spot new pictures. In the meantime though, feel free to navigate all the latest folders as I add the pics as I find them.

Take a look.

Olympic Games: Beckham to perform at closing celebrations in Bejing
(source) & (source) Beckham is apparently set to perform at the closing ceremonies in a bit to start promoting the 2012 Olympics in London where he is expected, according to Times Online, to
"Hop off ( an open-top bus ) to kick footballs with children representing every country in the world."

Videos!
1) Here is a nice video of David arriving to watch the Lakers last Sunday ( as a side note, the Lakers lost the finals in game 6 in Boston last night, I'm sure David is disapointed as he seemed to have become a big fan of the lakers).

2) Interview in England before his Captaincy.

3) Sharpie Commercials:





4) Very short one of the kids & their mother in San Fransisco.


That's it for today. Until next time!

P.S.- I notice a lack of participation in the forums... Drop by and chat when you get a chance.

Labels: armani, david beckham, david beckham blogs, lakers game

Galaxy 3 - 0 Earthquakes
It's tough to be the new kid on the block, as San Jose learned yet again this weekend. The Galaxy beat the San Jose Earthquakes 3-0, in another Buddle hat trick. David had an assist. 39,872 people came out to watch the match, which is a historical high for the stadium.

When asked about how the team has been performing without Landon Donovan (who remains out due to international duty), Becks said:
"This team is more than capable of winning games without big players, and I think we've showed that," Beckham said of the Galaxy, who also played without suspended forward Alan Gordon. "It's not about individuals. It's about the team, and the work we've put in during training."

Speaking of Buddle...
"Edson is an individual that's getting better at the game, and he works hard at it," Beckham said. "He works hard and he listens. He proved tonight that he's a handful."

And, oddly enough, he discussed his new winery:
"We're big wine fans, and we love red wine," Beckham said. "The kids can pick the grapes, so it's a great family thing. We'll certainly be down there more, but we're not going to say when."

See these & more at the match report here.



Although the commentators made a big (possibly too big) deal over an injury Becks picked up early in the game when he slipped and appeared to strain his hamstring, David was not subbed at halftime, and in fact played through without much appearance of pain or limited range of motion. There were times when he looked a little tender, but in the post-match interview he told them it was just feeling tight.


The Beckham Effect
A new Canales piece talks about the "unsung" members of the Galaxy squad, and how David is inspiring them to play better than anyone expected. Check it out here.


Lakers' New Biggest Fan
Rushing back from San Jose to catch the 5th game in the NBA final, Becks attended with Brooklyn and looked every bit as happy to be there as always - he could be the next Lakers' biggest fan!



In absolutely ridiculous but related news, writer Bill Plaschke has accused David (and fellow regular celebrity attendees - though specifically David) of being responsible for the Laker's recently poor performance:

Plaschke blames the celebrity circus for at least part of the defeat, singling out Beckham (who has attended all three home games) for criticism. “Think about it," reads his piece. “Has anyone actually seen David Beckham clap? Do many of these people even watch the game?"

Fortunately for the Lakers but not so fortunately for the idiot Plaschke, the Lakers won their 5th game of the finals on Sunday.

See the Independent article here, or check out Bill Plaschke's actual opinion piece about Beckham here.


Becks Philosophical About England Future
The AP has an article that quotes an interview David did in Los Angeles, some of which seems old to me but apparently appeared in The Times of London only recently. Of his national career he says:

"I won't get a phone call when I'm left out and I won't expect one," Beckham was quoted as saying in Tuesday's edition of The Times of London, speaking in an interview in Los Angeles. "With the manager, I could be sitting at home one day and not be in the squad and it is all over, and I won't complain.

"I just need to know that I have done as much as I can."

...and much more. Check it out here.


Take That, David Bentley
While David Bentley's ego builds its own multi-million dollar mansion on the pitch at Wembley, David Beckham, his "rival" for the England midfield, is enjoying the competition.

"The competition is always good and it's great for me to have the competition, and it's great for him to have that competition as it obviously pushes you to up the level of play."

Ever-diplomatic, Becks said of Bentley's well-known egotistical personality:

"He makes me laugh when we're in the squad and he's got a great bit of banter. He's a London lad, so he's quite cocky with it, but as I say he's a great lad.

(Bentley has not been as diplomatic when discussing Becks...)

Perhaps if more people pay attention to how Beckham feels about the "rivalry", and less attention to how Bentley feels about it the story won't be annoying us all for years to come.

The whole article is here.


Euro 2008
For us England supporters the ongoing Euro competition is a sad reminder of our recent shortcomings, but for us all as fans of football the Euros are a thrilling time. (Croatia, who put the nail in the coffin of England's Euro 2008 campaign, is blazing a hot trail through the competition right now.) ESPN is covering the entire campaign, with most games on ESPN2, some on ESPN Classic, and all on ESPN360.

David said:
"It's hard for me to watch the (Euro) games because I'm passionate about my country. (Source)

We feel your pain, Becks!


Lucky San Francisco Fans
Lucky San Francisco Beckham fans will have a chance to meet him at the unveiling of his new Emporio Armani ad.

The first 175 customers to spend $200 or more on Emporio Armani underwear at Macy's Union Square in Union Square Park, San Francisco will have the chance to meet Becks and get an autograph. May 18th, 5pm (presumably 5pm local time). Find out more here, including a link for related video and audio.


Wine Club's Newest Member
Following the purchase of a winery for Victoria's birthday:

Soccer star David Beckham has joined the Napa Valley Reserve, the U.S.A.'s first wine "country club", which describes itself as an "institute of higher education for vintners and friends of vintners." Source

San Jose vs. Galaxy
Tonight the Galaxy will take on the San Jose Earthquakes away to San Jose at 7pm PT/10pm ET. Match preview & Game guide

TV: FSC & FSE

Radio: AM 570 (online), 1330 AM (Esp)

Online: TVU Networks (install their software or plugin) on channel "soccer" (21500). Other options here; check closer to game time but it looks like the Galaxian Rams Sopcast will be up as well. Get the software you need here.

Text: ESPN live text commentary & Gamecast.

Good luck Galaxy!

NBA Finals



David watched in obvious disappointment as the Lakers lost the 4th game of the NBA Finals last night. The Lakers are now in danger of losing the title.



He has become a very enthusiastic Lakers fan since moving to LA. No doubt he wishes his team would have won. And no doubt he can understand what the players are feeling, too!


Latest Blog
Hi everyone,

It was good to get back to the MLS and get a win against Colorado Rapids in my first game since returning from England duty. I felt after the thrashing they gave us in the first game of the season we had something to prove and in the first half we played some brilliant soccer. At 3-0 up just after half time we were cruising and maybe we got complacent and let them back into the game, but we managed to hang on and win, which is a testament to the team and the winning spirit that Ruud Gullit and the coaching staff have brought to the club.
It’s great to look at the table and see us sitting at the top. The Western Conference is very tight though, so we need to make sure that we’re focused on trying to win every game from now on, starting with San Jose Earthquakes this Saturday.

I was a guest on a Jimmy Kimmel special called Jimmy Kimmel Live: Game Night, which was on just before the LA Lakers v Boston Celtics NBA finals. It was great fun and, of course, as a Lakers fan I was pleased to see them win.

That’s all for now.


Take care,

David


Galaxy vs. Earthquakes
Tomorrow the Galaxy will take on the newly-reformed San Jose Earthquakes. I will have viewing information available closer to game time.

Here's a preview article.

Landon Donovan will play Barbados with the US Men's National Team on Sunday, so he is still out - but wrapping up his extended absence. Of losing Donovan for a time, Becks said:

The other half of L.A.'s scoring tandem, Landon Donovan, won't be on hand because he's with the U.S. national team training for Sunday's game against Barbados.

"It's always tough when you are missing your top goal scorer," Beckham told reporters in L.A. Friday, "but one more game without him, I'm sure we'll survive, and then I'm sure he'll be back and scoring goals for us again."


David's Goal 2 Pieces on Auction
Pieces of kit David wore in the film Goal 2 will be on auction in California over the weekend of June 21-June 22.

Up for grabs: David Beckham's soccer shirt and shorts costume from the movie "Goal 2." The shirt is marked with his number 23 and features Beckham on the top. Plus, the "Goal 2" Region 2 PAL DVD (*like new condition) with color photo still of Beckham on soccer field and a head shot of Beckham w/ photocopied signature

Auction details: ONE-OF-A-KIND SUPER HERO COSTUMES AND PROPS

FROM FAN FAVORITE MOVIES TO BE AUCTIONED OFF BY PREMIERE PROPS AND SUPER AUCTIONS ON SATURDAY JUNE 21ST AND JUNE 22nd, 2008

IN EL SEGUNDO, CA


Proceeds will Benefit the Entertainment Industry Foundation

Get the full scoop here!

Here's a bit of silliness to round out the day - those who don't like the lighthearted stuff, tune out now!

The Beckhams Do Disneyland
David and Victoria Beckham take their three sons Brooklyn, 9, Romeo, 5, and Cruz, 3, for a fun-filled day at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., on Wednesday afternoon.

The Beckham clan spent over six hours there. The excitement of the day took its toll on lil’ Cruz who took a little nap in his stroller. Read more...




Beckham on Forbes List
David Beckham has replaced his friend Sir Elton John as one of the 10 most powerful celebrities in the world.

The England footballer has jumped from 15th to fifth on this year's annual Forbes celebrity list. David Beckham earned £25m in the past year

Beckham, who has earned £25 million ($50 million) in the past year, comes four places ahead of JK Rowling, the creator of the phenomenally successful Harry Potter books, who made £125 million ($300 million) in the previous 12 months alone. Read more

Galaxy 3 - 2 Rapids
In what turned out to be a highly entertaining game, the Galaxy - led by a hardworking David Beckham - beat the Colorado Rapids 3-2 last weekend.

Andrea Canales put it best:
Weird, strange and odd wouldn't be enough to describe the Galaxy's 3-2 win over the Colorado Rapids. The shifts in momentum were too unexpected. The twists in the plot were too drastic and the random happenings were downright freaky.

"Crazy," summed up Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit. "It was a crazy game." Source

The match also resulted in two red cards - one for Rapids' Facundo Erpen, who kicked Alan Gordon in the groin with intent, and another to Gordon for stomping on Erpen in retaliation.

Perhaps one of the most amusing moments from a spectactor's point of view, and certainly one of the most dramatic moments for everyone on the pitch, came when a fan broke onto the field and ran to get a high five from David.

Though the commentators stated the fan only wanted to give David'a high five, his intent was not clear to the players. Chris Klein, who remains one of Galaxy's hardest working players and a good friend to David, tackled the fan to the ground.

There are photos of this occurring:





David did submit to a hug from the fan before Klein charged at him and commentators also stated David picked the fan up and gave him a hug before David's bodyguard and security took him away. I can't find confirmation of the hug from Becks. The fan has been given a lifetime ban from the stadium.

See the event towards the end of this highlights clip:



Beckham admits he was a little wary when the fan disrupted the Galaxy game against Colorado Rapids and ran towards him.

He says: "He didn't have a smile on his face and he didn't have a Galaxy shirt on, so I didn't know if he was going to come and give me a hug or something else.

"These things happen in games all over the world. Luckily, he just wanted to give me a high five and that was the end of it." Read more

The Galaxy lost in a humiliating defeat to Rapids in their season opener in Colorado, so perhaps the win was just desserts.

"I think that we felt that we owed them in a certain sense," Beckham said. "First game of the season, they did beat us and it was an embarrassing loss. Mentally, it gets in players' heads."

Read more about the game here.

The Galaxy managed without Donovan, who is still on duty with the USA national team. I had the pleasure of seeing Landon earn his 100th cap in person on Sunday at USA vs. Argentina, and I'm sure we all extend our congratulations to him for the achievement.


Basketball Injury
Yes, another injury...thankfully this one won't affect his ability to play!

DAVID BECKHAM is nursing an embarrassing injury - after his efforts to become a better basketball player backfired.

The soccer stud-turned-model and his eldest two sons have become big fans of the Los Angeles Lakers as the basketball team fight for the NBA title in America.

And Beckham has even become close friends with Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant.

But his efforts to dunk it like Bryant have left him with a nasty cut on his nose.

He explains, "I was playing basketball with my eldest son (and he) threw the ball at the net and it bounced off the ring and smacked me in the face." Source


All-Star Voting
Major League Soccer fans' love affair with English import David Beckham shows no sign of fading.

The Los Angeles Galaxy superstar midfielder is the overwhelming leader in fan voting for the 2008 MLS All-Star Game, almost a month into online balloting.

The voting, which closes July 2, accounts for 25 percent of the MLS All-Star first team selections, with coaches and general managers (25 percent), players (25 percent) and media (25 percent) also having a say on which players are named to the starting lineup.

Those selected will play in the 13th annual MLS All-Star Game against English Premiership club West Ham United in Toronto on July 24. Read more here.


Lakers Final
Brooklyn Beckham, 9, accompanied his dad David Beckham to game three of the 2008 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, June 10th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA. Source




Beckham Academy Summer Program
If you're a mum or dad of young kids in the UK, you might want to consider the David Beckham Academy's summer football program!

The summer holidays are fast approaching so it's time to start thinking of ways to keep the children occupied. For football fans The David Beckham Academy is a great way to channel their energy; offering one, three or five day courses.

[...]

From 7th July, the Academy will be running football courses designed for 8 to 15-year-olds, whatever their abilities. Learn More


Hottest Celebrity Dad
While Brad Pitt was named the #1 hottest celebrity dad by StyleList.com, Becks made the grade as well:

The list of the 15 hottest celebrity dads includes actors, an athlete, musicians and a politician. David Beckham is in second place, followed by Johnny Depp, Will Smith and Matt Damon. Read more


Becks on Jimmy Kimmel
Here's David's appearance on Jimmy Kimmel:

Galaxy vs. Colorado
Tonight the Galaxy take on Colorado at the Home Depot Center. Kickoff is 10.30pm ET, 7.30pm local.

TV: FSN-W, DK

Online: MLSLIVE.tv will broadcast the match, for those who have a subscription to their service. p2p options are not yet listed on the usual sites, so closer to match time I will update this post if I can find direct links. You can look for them as well by going here, clicking "Live Sports", then clicking "Football" - the listings are there. Alternatively if there are feeds then LiveFooty will likely have them embedded on their page, search for the match here. For the p2p software you may need, look here. Galaxian Rams usually has a feed via Sopcast. Stay tuned - updates as available!

UPDATE: Find the Galaxian Rams feeds (Sopcast) here.

Radio: You can tune in for a radio broadcast on AM 570 (listen live here), 1330 AM (Esp) in the LA area.

Text: ESPN's text commentary is available in just plain text here and graphic Gamecast with commentary here.

Match preview is here. Game guide is here.

Good luck Galaxy!


Becks Back in the Fold
David's spoken out about his break for international duty and the Galaxy's performance while he's been away. Gullit has also made plain his thoughts about the fact that MLS allows no breaks in the season for international matches...

David Beckham enjoyed a two-week break from the Galaxy with England, winning two international matches, wearing the captain's armband and even sneaking a quick trip to New York with his wife.

"It's always nice to go home," Beckham said. "We had two important games, two good performances and two good wins."

If only the Galaxy were so fortunate. Without Beckham and Landon Donovan, the Galaxy were 0-2 and did not score a goal in losses to Colorado and Toronto.

[...]

"It's just one of those things, sometimes players aren't in the team," Beckham said. "It happens as we move on."

Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit expressed his own displeasure that international matches take place without regard for the MLS season.

"It's strange you don't stop the competition for international competition," Gullit said. "It would be good if players have a little bit of a breather."

And about the wrist injury he says:

The midfielder wore a soft cast on his right hand because of ligament damage.

"I did it a few weeks ago back against Chivas (USA) and thought it was all right and then fell on it during training (with England)," he said. "I'll be all right."

Read more here.


Becks on Jimmy Kimmel
Thanks to a number of anonymous comments re: David's upcoming appearance on Jimmy Kimmel...

GAME NIGHT - Tuesday June 10th

David Beckham, comedy appearance by Charles Barkley

(Airs before the NBA game in Eastern and Central time zones from 8 - 8:30pm ET, and after the NBA game in Mountain and Pacific time zones.)

Full schedule here.


Euro 2008
The Euros began today with a Switzerland vs. Czech Republic pairing. It's a sad reminder for those of us who support England, but anybody interested in seeing the tournament regardless can do so on ESPN's various channels (ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPN360.com). Better luck next time, England...


No Diddy...
For those interested, following up on the random news re: Diddy recruiting David to work on a fashion line, Victoria quashed the idea. She said David's too busy to get involved, so those who may have been excited by the prospect will have to wait until another day!

Show me the money!
David Beckham made the list of highest paid non-American Athlete, up 5 spots since the last time Sports Illustrated compiled such a list back in February.
This year they report his annual income at $48,200,000.

If I'd make that kinda money, I'd be rocking to that song that goes "money money money, moneyyyyyyyyyyy" while crusing in that nice porsche of his non-stop 24/7! :)


Following him in second place is Kimi Räikkönen (Auto Racing) from Finland at $46,000,000 and Ronaldinho (Soccer) from Brazil at $37,500,000. For the complete list, click here.


Hell's Kitchen


Becks turned up the heat in Hell's kitchen last night wearing an outfit that is quite daring. One could have thought he was there to serve the meals! Haha, well I know you girls will like the outfit anyways :)

Care to flame me for saying he looked like waiter or just discuss his hotness, why not discuss it in the forums. So did you like the outfit??

Here's a nice video From E! of him arriving.



See pictures in the gallery here.



Jack Warner: Beckham is Key
Times Online published an article & interview with Jack Warner today where Warner was quoted as saying:
“David Beckham could play a role for England as nobody else can,” he says. “I don’t know what his fees would be, but he can play a role because he is iconic and people love him. He is a world figure, acceptable to everyone. He’s almost like Pelé. Let him be the face of the campaign. Let him sell it for you."

You can read the rest of it here.

Labels: annual salary, david beckham

Becks Blogs
Hi everyone,

I was delighted to be called up to the England squad for the friendlies against the USA and Trinidad & Tobago, and of course to be picked to start each game.
When I handed over the captaincy after the 2006 World Cup I never thought I’d wear the armband again, so I was honoured to lead the team out onto the pitch again against Trinidad and Tobago.

As for the games, I thought we played very well. We didn’t concede a goal and we won both matches, which was important. For me personally, getting an assist in the game against the USA was a great feeling. I was really pleased that John Terry put it away. He’s had a tough couple of weeks, so it was great to see the delight on his face when the ball hit the back of the net.

The England lads are off on their holidays now for a well-earned rest, but I’m back with the Galaxy for our next game against Colorado Rapids in the MLS on Sunday night. Whilst some of the team were on international duty, the team lost the last couple of games, so we need to get back to winning ways. They were unlucky to lose, particularly the cup game against the Rapids.

We’ve a good team though, so we’ll definitely be working hard at the weekend. I’m looking forward to it.

That’s all for now

Take care,

David


Becks on Jimmy Kimmel
The late night comedian will be appearing during your primetime schedule. Starting tomorrow, Jimmy Kimmel LIve will run special half-hour shows each night that ABC airs the basketball finals. Special guests include: David Beckham, Edward Norton, Charles Barkley, Liv Tyler, Adam Sandler, Eminem, Shaquille O'Neil, Magic Johnson and New Orleans Hornets guard and 2008 MVP contender Chris Paul, among others.

[...]

Primetime Jimmy Kimmel Live specials:
Thursday, June 5 at 8:00 p.m., ET/CT
Sunday, June 8 at 8:00 p.m., ET/CT
Tuesday, June 10 at 8:00 p.m., ET/CT
Thursday, June 12 at 8:00 p.m., ET/CT
Sunday, June 15 at 8:00 p.m., ET/CT (If necessary)
Tuesday, June 17 at 8:00 p.m., ET/CT (If necessary)
Thursday, June 19 at 8:00 p.m., ET/CT (If necessary) Source


New Kit?
This article published today talks about a new Galaxy kit and Predator boots. It does so from the point of view of the Middle East, so I'm not as yet sure if this will be rolled out globally or is a design exclusive to the area.

The new adidas uniform features the LA Galaxy “Quasar” crest as a woven badge on the jersey with two embroidered stars representing their two MLS Cup championships, accompanied by the adidas three stripes down the sleeves. The uniform also highlights the LA Galaxy team colours, collegiate navy, gold and white. Read more


58 Captaincy...
David's 59th captaincy during the match against Trinidad & Tobago may be reduced to 58. FIFA is threatening to make caps for subs and his armband null & void.

The Fifa president, Sepp Blatter, instigated a new rule at the world governing body four years ago restricting countries to only six changes in a game, a move partly prompted as a result of Sven-Goran Eriksson once fielding an entirely new team for the second half of a friendly defeat to Australia at Upton Park five years ago.

The Football Association were under the impression that they had been granted special permission by Fifa to exceed that limit for the match in Port of Spain, which was played ostensibly to celebrate the Trinidad & Tobago Football Federation's centenary. Fabio Capello introduced Joe Hart, Phil Jagielka, David Bentley and Peter Crouch at half-time, with Ashley Young, Theo Walcott and Stephen Warnock brought on during the second half.

However, the governing body were unimpressed at the number of changes made and last night insisted they had not given either side the green light to bend the rules, potentially stripping the game of A international status. "We can confirm that Fifa did not give special dispensation to make up to seven substitutions at the Trinidad & Tobago versus England match," confirmed a spokesman. "We have spoken internally at Fifa about the matter and nobody allowed this to happen."

While the FA will query that stance - they felt they had been instructed prior to the game by a Fifa official that they could stretch to seven subs having originally asked to play 11 - Fifa's assessment would appear to deny Hart, Jagielka, Warnock and Dean Ashton their first caps for their country, Gareth Barry his first goal and Jermain Defoe his brace. Likewise, David Beckham would only have captained his country on 58 occasions. Read more


Becks Attends Restaurant Opening
David Beckham straps on his bow tie and comes out to support Scottish chef pal Gordon Ramsay at the opening of the London West Hollywood restaurant on Wednesday in West Hollywood, Calif. - see the pictures here.

Weighing in on USA/England Future
Becks has weighed in on any potential for MLS to hurt his chances at remaining in the England squad:

Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham has insisted playing in the United States will help his England career, rather than hinder it.

[...]

"The standard in the USA is higher than anyone thinks and expects," he said. "America is a great place to play and the standard is improving all the time.

"People say, 'Can you play at this level or that level,' but it doesn't change me as a player. I'm always going to be the same player -- whether I'm playing in Spain, England or the USA. That won't affect my game.

"I can switch from playing in the USA at the weekend to then playing on a Wednesday against one of the best teams in the world and the best players in the world.

"I'll always be the same player that, if given two or three yards, I can cross a ball into the danger area. People have said I've lost my pace but I've never had a major amount of pace anyway. I have never really been someone who has gone past players." Read more here


Armband Surprise
David Beckham admits he never thought he would captain England again after leading them to a 3-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago.

[...]

"It was a huge surprise," Beckham told Sky Sports News.


"I have always said I would be honoured to lead out my country and play for my country and as much as you hope was a surprise and an honour.


"I honestly never felt I would wear the armband again, but as I said I was honoured back then and I am just as honoured now." More here


Becks Advises Cristiano
Becks has given his advice to Cristiano Ronaldo about the potential move away from United to Real Madrid. Cristiano will make his official announcement about the decision this week.

Former Manchester United star David Beckham has urged Cristiano Ronaldo not to follow in his footsteps by leaving Old Trafford to sign for Real Madrid.

The Spanish giants are tracking the 23-year-old, despite being warned off by United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Beckham, who joined Real in 2003, said: "I believe he's at the right club now, a club he should stay at.

"He's only been there a few years. He's got a lot of people around him there who will protect him."

Beckham added: "As much as Real are a great team and one of the biggest clubs in the world, he's only just starting at United." More here


Diddy Wants Beckham's Style
Rapper Diddy has praised David's fashion sense and declared that he would like to work with Becks on a fashion project, perhaps for charity:

"What a stylish guy. I'd love to do a fashion range with David Beckham. He's a good friend and is very kind. Us two together doing business would be amazing.

"I heard he is doing a shoe range with (rapper) Snoop (Dogg). That's cool, but I would love to do fashion with David. I already have a fragrance and clothing line, but I'd love my next project to include him. Perhaps we could collaborate to do something for charity." Read more


Inking Hatton
In idle unconfirmed news, David reportedly helped boxer and friend Ricky Hatton select his freshly-inked tattoo.

The boxer has been inked with a lion motif – and it's thought footballer David came up with the design.

The 33-year-old LA Galaxy soccer star also put Ricky, 29, in touch with his favourite tattooist, Louis Molloy.

'They mulled over ideas for what Ricky could get done and Becks pointed Ricky in the direction of Louis,' a source tells the Daily Mirror. Source


Injured...
Photographs of Becks and Posh in New York this week reveal he has a bandaged right wrist. Details about the injury are sketchy at best. If anybody knows what's happened, please leave a comment and share with us.

David, back in the USA after playing with the England squad over the weekend was seen wearing a cast on his right wrist in New York attending a fashion event. The mystery injury was news even to his spokesman at time of writing this.

Lets cross our fingers that it isn't too serious. Perhaps it's just a precautionary thing as I don't recall seeing him get injured during the match in Port-Of-Spain. I'm sure we'll know more tomorrow.

Here are some pictures.


Most influential man in sports

(source) In a survey of 1,000 business people conducted by the Leaders in London International Leadership Summit, David Beckham was named the most influential man in sports with 41% of the votes. Victoria Beckham also made an appearance in the survey, voted third most influential woman in entertainment.


More on Captaincy and 2010

In the news there are more talks about 2010 and quotes on his captaincy during his last match with England over the weekend. One article in particular from Sporting Life has a number of interesting quotes I found:

"I want to be part of the squad for the 2010 World Cup if at all possible," Beckham said.

"The manager has already said if I stay fit and I am performing, then I've got a chance to be in the squad.

"I've heard reports about the manager picking me as captain just because of the political side. But anyone who knows this manager knows he doesn't do thing like that.

"He does it because he believes in individuals. Going forward, who knows? A long as I keep performing well, as long as I'm fit and looking after myself then obviously I'll have a chance of being picked in the squad.

"I've enjoyed my time so far and hopefully it will continue."

More on his Captaincy:

"Of course I'd like to be captain again - it's always an honour," he added.

"When I stepped down as captain I never thought I'd put the armband on again but I was lucky enough to do that and I'm honoured. I'm just happy to be in the squad.

"Nothing has changed my mind about wanting to be captain. I've always loved to lead my country out. But I felt it was the right time for me to step down and for someone else to take over."If it's handed to me like it was against Trinidad I'm never ever going to turn it down because it's one of the biggest honours in anyone's career. But back then I felt it was the right time to step down and I still believe it was."


Beckham Says Ronaldo Should Stay

(source) David believes Ronaldo should stay with Manchester United. He was quoted as saying:

"I believe he's at the right club and a club he should stay at because as much as Real Madrid are a great team and one of the biggest clubs in the world, he's only just starting at Manchester United,"

"He's only been there a few years. He's got a lot of people around him who will protect him. As a fan of Manchester United I hope he stays there but who knows?

"It's none of my business. All I'm going to say to him is congratulations on an amazing season. I'm sure he'll be crowned world player of the year and he deserves it."

Labels: 2010, captaincy, david beckham, ronaldo

England vs. Trinidad & Tobago
David's return as England's captain will take place tonight as England take on Trinidad & Tobago at Hasely Crawford Stadium. Kick-off is 2230 BST [5:30 EST](time edited from 7:30, sorry)

Television: The match will be televised on BBC1; for those outside the broadcast area of BBC1 I am unsure what channel to recommend. Please leave a comment if you know of international channels showing the match.

Online: For the rest of us, many p2p options for watching this match are already lining up. You can find them all here. As always be sure to check close to match time as links may change. Right now it appears as though the English feeds are primarily Sopcast, TVAnts, and Windows Media Player related. Get the software you need here.

Radio: Those in the UK or UK proxy can listen to the BBC radio broadcast here.

Photos
Match photos posted in the gallery, here.

Becks Captaincy in Photos
The BBC have celebrated David's 59th captaincy with a photo album of his history as captain. Check it out here.


Galaxy 0 - 2 Toronto
Toronto FC beat a rather hapless Galaxy yesterday in Toronto, 2-0. The Galaxy were again without Beckham or Donovan, and they seem rather adrift without David's service and leadership. Thankfully for them he will return to league action soon. (Donovan has a strain.)

Labels: david beckham, port-of-spain