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Originally Posted by bradclark1
From what I understand they are trying to use him as a billboard for American soccer. To get more peoples attention.
My guesstimation is with this makeing such huge news over here people are going to see if he is worth the bucks, hence a bigger audience and maybe interest will stick and bring more national interest to the game.
So it's kind of a large gamble for them.
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Probably not. American sports market is tight, different leagues have nicely arranged their season time tables with each other so that almost all year is covered, there is no room for another major sports league. It is not the first time US football tries to raise it's profile by inviting celebs to it'S stadiums, think of Pele or Beckenbauer. It did not pay off back then, it will not pay off this time. and yes, the fees these athlete entertainers today get payed are beyond all reason and beyond all good and evil. Ridiculous. Give them enough to live from it, and secure (on a modest and reasonable level) the future of their family after their active career, that would be fair. Plus a bonus for winning major events and tournamemnts. Problem is today all and everything is not tuned for serving it's purpose, but to create profits for business men that oftehn have nothing substantially to do with the issue, sports in this case. When Germany became world champion the first time in Bern, players were payed I think 50 or 100 bucks, and the pride and honour of having been called into the national team. After they won the title I think they got a car, or a refrigerator. Of that scale it was, and that was all.