Customer Reviews

The Beckham Experiment: How the World's Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America

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"Three seasons into Beckham's American adventure, the same question remained: Would it ever be about the soccer?" That was the last sentence of the book, and it easily could have been the first.

Amidst great hopes and unrealistic expectations ("Beckham will have a greater impact on soccer in America than any athlete has ever had on a sport globally." Tim Leiweke, CEO of AEG), the experiment has been a commercial success, and raised the profile of MLS. But as Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary manager of Manchester United, said, "You can't escape the field." It was a theme that the author stressed with regularity, and one that apparently escaped American soccer promoters during their formulation of this grand experiment.

Grant Wahl, in a very detailed, entertaining, and enlightening book, provides the reader with answers why the experiment has not achieved all of its objectives. The portrait was an extremely balanced analysis that was not dumbed down to sell more books for a non-soccer audience. Mr. Wahl writes about the sport of soccer without derision and/or frequent comparisons to its more accepted mainstream counterparts. He understands international soccer (he has covered 5 World Cups) along with the unique way the game is organized professionally in North America. Like a scientist, the author presented the equation, gathered the evidence from many sources, structured an interesting story, and ultimately demonstrated why the experiment did not work yet where it was needed the most: On the field of play.

Although Beckham did not provide exclusive interviews for the book, he is quoted frequently from previous discussions with the author. Despite a painful ankle injury, and promotional realities, Beckham began the experiment in prime time on a July evening at the Home Depot Center. Being the great professional that he is, he soldiered on so that the Galaxy and MLS could maximize a rare window of opportunity in the mainstream American consciousness. But after a few starts and stops, it came to a thundering halt when Beckham suffered another injury and was forced to weeks on the sidelines. The show went on without its protagonist. American fans, many of whom had to pay inflated prices to see the Galaxy and/or buy multiple game packages, began to voice their anger.

This book also chronicled the unsung life of the typical American professional soccer player. Many of whom toil in obscurity, and earn a minute fraction of Beckham's salary. They fly coach, stay in modest hotels, and have a $45 per diem. But in true American fashion and spirit, they dealt with a Hollywood reality show replete with Machiavellian behind the scenes maneuvers, and enough twists and turns to unseat the most balanced of people. Alan Gordon, an oft quoted player who earned $30,870 annually during his first three years with the Galaxy, summed it up best: "I'm just trying to make this team, so I don't give a ****. I don't care who is fighting with who as long as I'm on the team and have a salary."

Despite the increased awareness of American soccer domestically and internationally, along with the global demand of David Beckham, you can't escape the field. Even if you can bend it like Beckham.

Let me state upfront that, having grown up in Europe, I was (and still am) a huge soccer fan. So when the annoucenment came in 2007 that David Beckham would be joining the LA Galaxy, I was mightily surprised--and intruiged.

In "The Beckham Experiment: How the Wold's Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America" (302 pages), auhtor Grant Wahl (from Sports Illustrated) brings us the juice background details of the transfer that brought Beckham from Real Madris to the Galaxy, and how the grand experiment evolved from there. I will admit that I don't follow the MLS that closely, and so for me a lot of new details emerged in this book that I was unaware of. The book really shines in the second half, when we get insight on how the 2008 season unfolds, with a promising start for the Galaxy, followed by a 15 game (that's half the regular season) downward spiral in which it can manage only 1 win. The author is not kind in his assessment of Beckham, in perticular his lack of leaqdership which comes back time and again, moreover because Beckham was made team captain before he even played a single minute. "The questions about Beckham's lack of leadership dodn't come just from Donovan, but from other players who liked Beckham personally and shared dinners with him on road trips." At one point in the season both the coach (Ruud Gullit) and the GM (Alexi Lalas) are fired, and the author makes an assessment of each of the main parties. He comments dryly on Lalas: "In the end, it came down to this: Lalas had a three year contract, and in those three years never once made the playoffs".

Beckham clearly became disinterested in the Galaxy as the losing streak mounted. His trip to the closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games were totally unnecessary (and that's just one example). It came as very little surprise then that Beckham joined AC Milan after the 2008 MLS season. This book concludes before Beckham's return to the Galaxy this summer. It is highly surprising to me that Beckham has played better this year than he did in 2008, and it looks like the Galaxy will make the MLS play-offs for the first time since 2005. As to the book, I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish, and would readily recommend this to any soccer fan.

When David Beckham arrived in LA, a lot of people were understandably shocked. Beckham is one of the world's most successful and recognized athletes. He was arriving in one of the world's most cosmpolitan and famous cities, backed by a PR machine unrivaled in the English speaking world. But he was doing it to play America's 5th most popular (at best) sport in a league that is currently ranked as the 77th best soccer league in the world, between Algeria and Macedonia.

What happened was fairly predictable. Sure, Becks made a splash and sold lots of t-shirts and was a hit with the gossip rags. But Beckham didn't fit in with the players and the players did not fit in with him. The two alpha males of the Galaxy clashed almost instantly. Beckham was shocked by the bush league operations of the MLS. The fans did not like him once the honeymoon wore off. Club management was alienated and unqualified people got too much control over the club. Worst of all, the club did not improve.

Grant Wahl's book ably captures these dynamics. It's easy to tell the man knows his US soccer, being on this thankless beat for many years for Sports Illustrated. Some folks come off worse than others, but the book is fair, even-handed, and consistent. This is no hatchet job.

The ending of this story has not been written, so we will have to see what happens with David Beckham, Landon Donovan, the LA Galaxy, the MLS, and World Cup 2010. But this book is a good way to catch upo.

I am a 20 year old girl who thinks that David Beckham is hot. Don't stop reading here-- I'm just letting you know. I don't follow soccer and don't care for it. I live in Ohio, so I know about the Columbus Crew and even thought about going to a game just to see Beckham play.

One day I saw on ESPN that Landon Donovan was criticizing Beckham and I heard of the book as well in a magazine. I thought, "why not?" and added it to my summer reading collection. I am a fan of sports, and thought it would be interesting to learn of this so called "experiment."

Like I said, I don't know the sport of soccer. I was afraid that Grant Wahl would throw a bunch of soccer terminology in my way and I'd be fishing the internet to learn the terms. However, he presented the book in a way that I felt as though I'd been watching forever once I was finished. Even for a "dummy" like me, I read through the book with ease and found it VERY interesting of the arrival of Beckham to present day. A lot of insight was brought about from all perspectives-- the players, coaches, and executive personnel with the Galaxy.

At first I was thinking that the book would feature all the faults of Beckham and expose him of wanting to be a celebrity over an athlete. Wahl presents it in a way that Beckham is merely juggling the two aspects... which didn't work out.

Aside from being a book all about Beckham, I found it interesting to learn about the MLS in general, which Wahl clearly paints a picture of the structure of it versus European clubs. Including the salary cap, the hotels/meals, and just the players salaries in general... was all tidbits I never knew of.

In conclusion, this book is a must read for any sports fan. Whether you like soccer or not, that's not the point. Soccer is hardly the main intention of the book, but it rather chronicles the major downs (and a few ups) since Beckham's arrival in the US.

I have to confess that I don't read many sports books - and those I do read tend to be biographies of cricket/rugby players, with a sprinkling of football (soccer) books thrown in. Those books don't tend to be anything special. But "The Beckham Experiment" has to be hands down the best sports book I've read. Not only is it about Beckham the football player, but it is also about Beckham the brand - a combination of sports and business. This had the potential to be off putting for a sports fan, but the author has done a fantastic job of combining these two elements of the Beckham Experiment, writing a readily accessible and enjoyable read of Beckham's ill fated dabble in the MLS.

Beckham's move to the US was always going to be either a spectacular success or a spectacular failure, and quite clearly by mid 2009 it is the latter. I can't claim to be a devoted follower of football, but I was certainly aware of Beckham's move to the Galaxy. But until I read this book, I had no real knowledge of the MLS - Wahl has done a good job of introducing the workings of the MLS without impacting on the pace of the story. There is also consideration given to the politics and business decisions that can be involved in the running of a football club. The involvement of big business (AEG) in Beckham's shift to the Galaxy is not surprising - but the degree of manipulation and control over the management of the team is quite astonishing. Right from the start, it is readily apparent that signing with the Galaxy also represented a skillful business move by Beckham and his advisers.

Wahl has delved deep into the personalities in the team in the course of preparing this book, and has done a warts and all expose. There is some fingerpointing here - but Wahl is reasonable in his criticism, and puts a good case forward as to why just about everyone needs to take some responsibility for the fiasco that resulted during the LA Galaxy's campaign in the 2007 and particularly the 2008 season. One of the most surprising relevations from the book is Ruud Gullit's performance as a coach. I was astonished that he appears to have little idea what he was doing, and was unable to adjust to the US scene. I felt some sympathy for the players - I guess I fell victim to the general perception that as professional sportsmen in a first world country, they would be well paid, which as it transpires is not the case for the majority of the players. This is one of the highlights of the book - the perspectives of some of the lesser lights in the team on Beckham, and the impact he had on the team.

This book has everything going for it - a superstar football player, a team falling apart, outspoken former associates of the team, all skillfully put together in a totally enjoyable - and easy (I read this in the course of a weekend) - read. Easily the best sports book I've ever read, and probably one of the best books of the year for me. Recommended to anyone interested in football, learning about the MLS, and the global phenomenon that is David Beckham.

David Beckham came to the United States with a grand vision of raising the profile of soccer (aka football) in America. He was successful on several levels, and he was a failure on others. The obvious successes included his own personal salary and the increased global awareness of MLS. The obvious failure was success of his team, the Los Angeles Galaxy. There's much more to both sides than just that, however. In this book, Grant Wahl, the author, presents the first 2+ years of the experiment from the perspective of multiple individuals: former Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas, many of Beckham's teammates with the Galaxy, Galaxy coaches, Beckham himself, and his own as a collaborator and journalist.

I found the entire book to be fascinating. Beckham and a few of his people have repeatedly referred to this book as "unauthorized" in an effort to discredit it, but Wahl is a journalist and wrote a book about his time covering the team and interviewing many of its members over a span of about two years. He didn't pay Beckham to use his name or his quotes; at times he interviewed Beckham one-on-one and at others simply asked him questions during a press conference. Beckham's management and employees from 19 Entertainment are rarely quoted in the book but are very prominently involved in the goings-on.

If you're at all a fan of Goldenballs or simply a fan of sports -- not necessarily even a fan of soccer or MLS -- this is a great read. For Americans it gives an insight into the global world of soccer and elite athletes. For non-Americans it gives a great insight into the lives of soccer players in America. Highly recommended.

This book is obviously hyped as a book about David Beckham, perhaps because the publisher thought that that alone would help it sell more copies (and they're probably right). But while the book does a very thorough and engaging (while not totally unbiased) analysis of Beckham's time in the MLS, I think this book stands apart from others--and for that is exceptional-- because of the keen and caustic look it takes at the MLS as a league. As far as I know, there is no other book out there about the MLS, its idiosyncracies, its uniqueness, its failures and its triumphs; and for that alone this book is a necessary read. Furthermore, I hope the author thinks about writing a book about the MLS itself. A lot has happened in fifteen years. People seldom realize--while often decrying its inferiority--that the MLS is still in its infancy: a baby compared to other leagues. And the "Beckham Experiment" is almost the perfect metaphor for the its growth.

I will also say the Grant Wahl is fantastic writer and I hope after this book SI, as one of the leading sources in sports journalism, will show more interest in soccer and give him (and others) more of an opportunity to write about it. Soccer has come a long way in this country.

Wonderful book with about David Beckham coming to Major League Soccer. I would definitely recommend this for any sports fans - especially MLS fans!

True soccer fans understand one thing about David Beckham. He has never once been the best player on any team he has played in. Not Manchester United in the 1990s. Not Real Madrid. Not England's national team. Not the Galaxy. Not AC Milan. He is an over-hyped sex symbol with a fat paycheck disproportionate to his skills on the field. But the Galaxy management knew all that going in. They did not go after Ronaldinho or Zidane, genius attacking midfielders who are capable of changing a game in seconds. They went after a free-kick specialist who is barely above average in speed, dribbling ability and finishing. But he does represent something heretofore unreachable for MLS: a player still capable of producing for most of Europe's top teams going stateside without being too old or lacking options. Madrid wanted to renew his contract after winning La Liga in 2007, but took too long. MLS went after him with gusto, even changing the league's well-established salary cap rules to allow for a 'designated player' who does not hurt the team's pitifully low $2 million dollar cap.

Grant Wahl is as good a sports writer as there is. Not as good a soccer writer, but sports period. His articles are candid, relevant and make for good reading. Ditto for The Beckham Experiment. It may go into a bit too much detail for casual fans, but those with a serious interest in American soccer cannot miss this one. Especially interesting are segments on Beckham's tenure as captain of the Galaxy. His leadership skills bring to mind a certain president that has recently retired to Crawford. Of course, no one can blame one man for the performance of an entire team. But we can blame him for poor effort and performance. In numerous instanced the 'captain' blew off games to travel all over the world promoting his brand. Wahl interviewed coaches, players, and teammates to get the best possible access for this chronicle of Beckham's entry into MLS. Naysayers may deride the league, but Serie A was happy to bring on a player that is on his best day only second best on the L.A. Galaxy. Not even winning the MLS Cup can change that. The Beckham Experiment: How the World's Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America is a sports book worth reading.

If you've read anything about this much-hyped book, you already know all the juicy anecdotes, from David Beckham's failure to pick up the check ("alligator arms") at Galaxy team meals to the insistence that Landon Donovan relinquish the captain's armband to the English star. According to Wahl, Beckham's people were solely responsible for Machiavellian manipulations, usurping general manager Alexi Lalas' authority over the team and hiring inept coach Ruud Gullit, that sent the team to the bottom of the heap. Wahl plumped up these anecdotes with filler, added game summaries, and mailed in his manuscript. He says he traveled with the team for 16 months doing research, but there's a notable lack of substance.

The book evidently bypassed a few editorial reviews and was rushed into print to coincide with Beckham's return to the Galaxy last week. Turgid prose is exemplified by sentences like this: "Gordon was amazed by what Sandi would put up with: the bass thump from Veris's stereo would sometimes shake the walls until 3:30 a.m., even though Sandi had to get up at 5 a.m. to attend classes." And 80 pages later: "He [Gordon] was living...with teammates Gavin Glinton and Kyle Veris, who often blasted his music until 3:30 a.m., even though Gordon's girlfriend had to wake up at 5 a.m. every day for her nursing school classes." We hear, not once, not twice, but a few times about the disparity between the dollar amount of the publicized deal ($250 million) and what the team was actually paying Beckham. We are repeatedly told that Beckham has a feminine side, a steely-eyed wife, and bad teeth. Entire sentences reappear in multiple places.

But let's get past the lack of editing - many readers may not even notice--to the one-sidedness of the reporting. Alexi Lalas and Landon Donovan are the heroes of this book, struggling amidst the confusion of the Beckham juggernaut to do their best for the team they love. AEG, the Galaxy's owners, are good guys caught in the middle. And 19 Entertainment, its CEO Simon Fuller (Beckham's manager) and Terry Byrne (Beckham's best friend and personal manager) are the villains. Minor baddies, like "sexy football" Gullit, add drama but little bite to the tale.

Having taken sides before the action begins, the author fails to explain key elements of the back story. Although he talks about the salary cap (every Major League Soccer team is required to keep its total salary amount under a set limit), he ignores the fact that the rules were amended to create a new "designated player" category so that the Galaxy could snag Beckham and changed again to enable the Galaxy to keep both Donovan and Beckham on a single team. Although one of MLS' objectives is to create a level playing field (vs leagues in other countries, where a few rich teams dominate), the Galaxy have repeatedly received favorite treatment. The Galaxy's inability to translate this advantage - no other MLS team has two world-class players on its roster -- into a winning record might have been the theme of the book had it been written by an author less beholden to Lalas and Donovan.

Still, all criticism would be moot had Beckham achieved his purported objective: to make soccer a big league sport in the United States. There's no question that he's sold a lot of tickets and jerseys, but nowhere amidst the bloated gossip and anecdotes is an analysis of why the experiment failed.

Five stars for entertainment value (it's a fast read), two stars for content, one star for editing.

Disclosure: I am a San Jose Earthquakes fan and a regular visitor to Big Soccer, the site frequently cited by Wahl. Anyone who wants to read other perspectives on the Beckham phenomenon may want to check out the site; I highly recommend the August 4, 2008 "Ultimatum" post by Galaxy fan TequilaJoal for a much more colorful (albeit fictitious) portrait of the Galaxy locker room culture.