The British Are Coming

Today, David Beckham appeared in his first press conference with the L.A. Galaxy, and the U.S. sports scene has since taken notice. Many questions arise about the arrival of one of the most recognized athletes in the modern era of sports to a place where no one seems to know him. The most interesting of which seems to be: Can David Beckham ignite a fire of soccer in the hearts and minds of America?

Personally, I've never really been a huge fan of soccer. And though I'd like to become more of an afficionado, I have to admit that if the World Cup isn't being played, I'm unaware of it's existence. However, I hope that whatever it is with the Beckham's, the U.S. (and myself) take notice.

When it comes to self assurance in sports, America has it. Me, like all my fellow countrymen, know that the U.S. produces the best athletes. We have the Michael Jordan's of basketball, Barry Bonds' of baseball, and the entire sport of football, and hold almost all world records in track and swimming. But when it comes to the world's most popular game, we have Landon Donovan, who's been a well known disaster on the international stage. The fact is, we know we have the best athletes in the world, but unless we start to dominate soccer on the global scale, we will never get the respect we deserve, and rightfully so. I don't know if Beckham's arrival will do much to help, but I hope so.

The Google Trends Matchup of the day: David vs. Victoria.

It seems that even though David still gets more searches, wife Victoria is gaining ground quickly. Will the unpopularity of soccer in the U.S. swallow up Beckham's celebrity and bring Posh to the forefront? More on this question at BGC Today.

AG.