Take It Or Leave It

So I thought the arrival of David Beckham was supposed to save soccer in America.

Last I checked we're still at the same place we started.

Sure there was all the hype that came with news of his arrival in L.A. and then again when the season started, but an injury forced him to the sideline and he seemed to disappear as quickly as he entered.

How long did that last? A month?

This is what is going to save soccer in America? Yeah, good luck with that.

If it wasn't for the gossip magazines no one would even know he was still here.

Walk around campus and ask someone where Beckham is playing this week, chances are they won't know the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team is playing in the inaugural Pan-Pacific Championship this week. Your odds might improve if you asked them about the Spice Girls world tour.

The fact is soccer will never reach the popularity that many hoped it would.

This occurred to me on my recent trip to Costa Rica. Everywhere I traveled I saw a soccer field. They are as frequent in Costa Rica as 7-11s are in the U.S. you can't go three blocks without seeing one.

I don't think Costa Rican's know any other sport but soccer. It is their national pastime. Like many other countries across the globe they live and die by the sport.

Instead of a pick-up game of basketball you see kids playing soccer games wherever they can.

Instead of football there are soccer fields in their place. Baseballs and gloves in the local store are replaced by soccer balls.

It's no accident soccer is the most watched sport in the world. This was evident on my trip when I saw posters of Ronaldinho and Beckham in places where I was use to seeing the images of Manning and Tomlinson.

It's a soccer crazed world, so why has this country failed to get the memo?

I realize in this part of the country the popularity of soccer is still a close fifth right behind croquet but travel a few states north or maybe southeast and don't be surprised if they have never heard of Becks and Posh.

It's all about scoring. Americans want the most of whatever is offered to them.

You want that supersized?

Scoring in sports is no different, that is why the National League in baseball isn't as popular as the offensive-heavy American League with the designated hitter.

When games can end 1-0 or in a tie, it loses the interest of Americans. But if Kobe puts up 81 points in a single game everyone and their mother is talking about it.

Will this change? No, not unless you change the rules and make goals worth three points and headers worth four because changing the scoring system seems to be the only answer.

The Beckham era came and went as fast as Pogs and lava lamps.

It's not looking good for soccer in the states. If the biggest name in soccer can't draw fans, what will?