Results tagged “David Beckham” from The Sports Desk

David Beckham is going to be loaned from Los Angeles to Milan for a couple of months early next year, and it's a much bigger story in England than it is here. So, no change since Beckham's arrival in the summer of 2007. He's still a bigger story in England than he is here.

I keep looking for cynicism and ridicule in the English papers' on-line coverage today of Beckham's plan for a temporary move to AC Milan. I don't see it. Give 'em time.

For the moment it seems straightforward. The Galaxy is out of season until April. Beckham knows he must keep playing to keep his spot on England's national team. AC Milan figures it can use him, though his exact role isn't clear yet.

Some soccer fans here fear -- and some non-fans hope -- this move will lead to Beckham's permanent departure from the Galaxy. But there's no indication that's the case in anything anybody involved in the situation is saying today. Loans aren't unusual in the world of professional soccer. Only they don't often involve David Beckham, AC Milan ... and the L.A. Galaxy ... so speculation is natural.

For the most complete account I've found from an English paper, click here.

Scott Wolf's column about David Beckham concluded the English star has made minimal impact on the profile of soccer in Los Angeles and the United States. Scott makes some good points -- but I think Beckham's most important influence has been on the profile of L.A. and U.S. soccer in the rest of the world.

Reports (click here) say more than 300,000 copies of David Beckham's Galaxy jersey were sold in the last year. That's more shirt sales than Kobe Bryant of the Lakers or LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers can claim. Seems like the only person who wasn't wearing a Beckham jersey last year was Beckham.

Thanks to my old colleague Larry Lipson, the Daily News' great long-time restaurant critic, for the comment he posted from retirement in Costa Rica on my item about the U.S.-England soccer match. True, Larry, the simple solution might have been to root for a tie. Though, as it turned out, the United States wasn't even up to that.

A website called Serious Sports News Network (so-called because it's so un-serious) has a semi-funny article suggesting that after making a big deal about David Beckham last season, the media have forgotten about the Los Angeles Galaxy star this year. Read it by clicking here.

Tell me: Have the media dropped the ball on Beckham coverage? Or are you relieved that there's less Beckham coverage? Or do you think there's still too much Beckham coverage?

For the record: By my count, the Daily News has mentioned Beckham in articles in eight editions of the newspaper the past two weeks. The Los Angeles Times has mentioned him in six editions in that time.

We're sending a reporter to Wednesday's downtown press conference at which figures will be revealed that show how much money the sports industry pumps into the Southern California economy. Serious stuff, but not so serious that we can't have a little fun with the idea first. The following is the column I've written for Wednesday's papers and their websites.

Let's see how closely you read the Daily News sports section Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Ten-question quiz. Answers at the end.

1. What got UCLA coach Rich Neuheisel upset during football spring practice?

a. Offensive linemen kept losing focus against the defense's third-down nickel package
b. Players ditched Tuesday's practice in keeping with the school's "Going Over the Wall" tradition
c. He needed Memphis in the NCAA tournament final