Becks Backlash Begins - Brits Baffled?

So far, the Beckham revolution in Major League Soccer has been a bit of a dud. Not because of Beckham's less than stellar play on the field, but because he hasn't even really taken the field in anger yet. Aside from a brief spell at the end of a friendly against Chelsea, an injured ankle has kept Becks on the sideline during games and training.

As much as his absence has made life hard on Galaxy manager Frank Yallop, it's really pissing off the fans. Not LA's fans, mind you, but the ones in other MLS cities who paid through the nose to buy tickets (usually to multiple games, many of them not involving the Galaxy) to see the game's Next Big Thing (particularly as the league's Last Big Thing is off to Portugal). The Evening Standard's This Is London website has several pictures of FC Dallas fans who were a bit disgruntled at Becks's absence from The Hoops's match against the Galaxy (I particularly like the one behind the FC Dallas net).

Note to Jim C, the commenter from NYC who goes all the way to a British web site to vent his soccer hatred: (1) your ranking of US sports is wrong - NASCAR is at least #2 these days, hot on the heals of the NFL, and (2) hockey is circling the drain in the states - its ratings are routinely surpassed by . . . wait for it . . . soccer games! Hold onto that 'tude, tho' - it'll keep you warm when the Red Bulls fail yet again to win a championship.