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

Grant Wahl (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 14, 2009

In 2007, David Beckham, the golden boy of soccer, shocked the international sports world when he signed a five-year contract with an American team, the Los Angeles Galaxy. Under the direction of his manager, Simon Fuller, the mastermind behind American Idol and the Spice Girls, Beckham was ready for a monumental challenge and a risky adventure–ready, as Fuller put it, to earn his stripes Stateside. Could he pull off what no player had ever accomplished (including Pelé in the 1970s) and transform soccer into one of the most popular spectator sports in America? It was a bold experiment: failure meant a team, a league, a sport, and Beckham himself might miss their chance to hit primetime in the U.S.

With unprecedented access to the Galaxy and one-on-one interviews with Beckham, veteran Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl focuses on the inner circle of the experiment: Beckham, Galaxy leading scorer Landon Donovan, Simon Fuller, controversial former coach Ruud Gullit, outspoken former Galaxy president Alexi Lalas, and Mrs. Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham. Wahl takes readers behind the scenes, on the road with the team and inside the locker room, to reveal just what happened on and off the field when the most renowned player in the world left the glamour of European soccer to play in a country that has yet to fully embrace the sport. We find out what his teammates really think of their superstar captain, who was calling the shots behind the scenes, how Beckham’s management conducted a shadow takeover of the Galaxy organization, and if the team plans to embrace him–or not–when he returns from AC Milan for the 2009 season.

The Beckham Experiment is a no-holds-barred account of ego clashes and epic winless streaks, rivalries and resentments, big gambles and great expectations, cultural and class collisions, and ultimately the volatile mix of celebrity and professional sports. As Beckham embarks on his third season with the Galaxy, the question remains: even for a player the caliber of David Beckham, are some goals out of reach?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Far more than merely a soccer book, The Beckham Experiment brilliantly explores-and exposes-that odd place where sports and celebrity collide. David Beckham's American odyssey is often too bizarre to believe, and Grant Wahl captures it all with uncommon depth, precision and insight. Forget Beckham-Wahl is the Pele of soccer writers. A brilliant book."
—Jeff Pearlman, author of Boys Will Be Boys

"In The Beckham Experiment,Grant Wahl has done a wonderful job of explaining to soccer fans--and, perhaps just as importantly to non-soccer fans--the worldwide phenomenon that is David Beckham. The reporting and the writing are all there and the story is a terrific read, whether one thinks of Beckham as one of the world's great athletes or as Posh Spice's husband."
—John Feinstein, author of Change-Up: Mystery at The World Series

"It's not behind-the-scenes access: It's what you do with it. Grant Wahl knows his soccer, but mostly, he knows a great story, at turns funny, sad, bizarre and, yeah, occasionally a little juicy. If the best thing that came out of Beckham coming to America was this book, I'd say it was a fair trade."
—Will Leitch, author of God Save The Fan, contributing editor New York magazine, founder Deadspin.com

"David Beckham is more than a gifted player. He is a multinational conglomerate. And, in Grant Wahl's extraordinary telling, his sojourn through Los Angeles makes for a gripping tale about the business of sports and the growth pangs of American soccer."
—Franklin Foer, author of How Soccer Explains the World

“This is a riveting, highly entertaining book about the world’s most famous athlete, and his attempt to conquer America with his skill, charm and amazing good looks, none of which have any effect on my wife, at least according to her.”
—Dave Barry, Humor writer and winner of 38 World Cups

"Forget the underwear ads. Forget the movie. Want to know about the world's most famous athlete and his impact on the world around him? Let Grant Wahl show you. For more than a decade, observers have banged their heads bloody trying to penetrate the Beckham phenomenon. Now, having barreled through the crack created by Captain Galaxy's fish-out-of-water foray into America, Wahl reveals the strange welter of celebrity, sport and mind-boggling obliviousness lying at its core. Jobs lost, careers ruined, franchises and leagues bowing to the man's every whim: The ripple effects caused by Beckham's arrival in Los Angeles are unlike anything seen in sports in years. Armed with unparalleled access and tapping into the lacerating candor of those closest to the now-sputtering experiment, Wahl raises the bar on what to expect from a sports book. For anyone looking to expose the backstage workings of an American team and league -- not to mention the cross-pollination of pop-culture and sports -- here's the new model: Write It Like Wahl."
—S.L. Price, author of Heart of the Game: Life, Death, and Mercy in Minor League America

“We can quibble about whether or not the actual "Beckham experiment" has been a smashing success, but Grant Wahl's account - as well-written as it is well-reported - is an unqualified triumph. The "Becks" cultists will devour this; but so will those of us who simply like a damn good sports book.”
—L. Jon Wertheim, Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal and the Greatest Tennis Match Ever Played

"I can't believe I enjoyed a book about soccer."
—Rick Reilly, ESPN Columnist

“Grant Wahl crafts a bounty of insider details and vivid character portraits to provide a keyhole's view into the 'Beckham experiment.' He reveals the Beckham beneath the stagecraft and photo shoots as the world's most famous athlete is forced to confront the locker-room class struggles in a cost-conscious league. With great care, Wahl unveils a book ribboned by humorous accounts and moments of disillusionment, conflict and drama, all surfacing when a humble MLS team finds itself taken over by Brand Beckham.”
—Selena Roberts, author of A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez

"The Beckham experiment failed miserably, but The Beckham Experiment succeeds as an engaging peek into the weird worlds of Beckhamania and U.S. soccer. Grant Wahl, the country’s best writer on the sport, may even convince all those who played soccer as kids to remember why they loved the game."
—Frank Deford, author of The Entitled

About the Author

In twelve years at Sports Illustrated, senior writer GRANT WAHL has written thirty-one cover stories and more than two hundred articles while covering five World Cups, three Olympics, and twelve NCAA basketball tournaments. Wahl has won four Magazine Story of the Year awards, given by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. He lives in Baltimore with his wife, Céline.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Crown Archetype; First Edition edition (July 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 030740787X
• ISBN-13: 978-0307407870
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1.1 x 9.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #662,576 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "You Can't Escape the Field" July 14, 2009

By Steve Amoia

Format:Hardcover

"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.

Please Note

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher. I was not monetarily compensated by any
party that would benefit from a positive review.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Far more enjoyable than I expected September 20, 2009

By Paul Allaer TOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars ably captures the culture clash between Becks and Galaxy August 14, 2009

By JoshJosh VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

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.