The big problem with Soccer here in the States is a marketing problem....we have an idea of what soccer is and obviously it is different than EVERYWHERE ELSE!

When Americans think soccer we think Kiddie Kickers, Soccer Moms, Minivans, Capri Sun drinks and EVERYONE GETTING A TROPHY WIN OR LOSE!!!!

"Football" everywhere else is CUT THROAT! And we should know!!!! In 1994 Colombia's Andres Escobar scored an own goal which let the US go on to beat Colombia 2-1......once he returned to Colombia he was friggin MURDERED!....now we don't need that but people take this shit seriously! David Beckham got death threats for getting sent off vs Argentina in 1998. There are great rivalries across the globe and great athletes we've never seen before and honestly if America ever catches the soccer bug (which it should as many kids that play it) we will become instantly one of the best teams in the world.

The national team does very well but fans can't wrap their heads around a League just yet...but Beckham's arrival will only help. They have been very smart to last this long and to develop consistantly over the past 10 years.

In America we don't have teams with history, we don't have rivalries that anyone knows about, we don't have well known stars we don't have eye catching play and our BEST players are either on teams in the middle of nowhere like Freddy Adu in Salt Lake or we have players who don't have any support like Quamhotec Blanco in Chicago.

America needs to know the best players and their stories and I think the good actions they have taken are Addidas' "impossible is nothing" campaign starring Beckham, Altidore, and others.....I also think the MLS "you're a fan you just don't know it yet" campaign is good as well. The more commercials and the more the marketing is more of a "you NEED this" variety the more fans soccer will have. I am sure ESPN will feature Beckham in many of their future commercials and they have a vested intrest in the MLS and I think that's a HUGE PRO because that's more than what Ice Hockey has right now.

I also think not going head to head vs Football is a very good thing.