How big a crowd would David Beckham draw here?

[Robbie]

Anyways, the game will be lower bowl only for this exibition.

But the web page said that the upper bowl will be open if there is enough demand.

[Lions_Fan_4_Life]

Although I said I wouldn't care about the game, I'm considering going. 35 bucks isn't that bad, and who knows, I'll try to get my current seats which would be good!

[sj-roc]

The date has been set: Wednesday, October 3, 2007 at 7:00 PM at BC Place.

http://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/?id=5059

On a Wednesday? A full month before the CFL season ends? With therefore no risk of a clash with a potential Lions home playoff game?

How very unCanadian...

[Hambone]

Highest Attendances for Soccer In Canada (League) (50,000+)

60,342 - Vancouver Whitecaps vs Seattle Sounders June 20, 1983 (BC Place).

Bingo, what a memory. Alcohol aint got me yet. 8)

Ok, so the date is wrong

It ain't got ya yet Robert, only confused you. The '83 Soccer Bowl was between Tampa Bay Rowdies and I'm thinking maybe Tulsa. I was at that Soccer Bowl. It's a long time ago and but it seemed to me there were enough empty seats to think that a 58000+ attendance figure was somewhat fudged. It was fairly full but I don't recall there being under 2000 empty seats. Then again it was a long time ago so the old remembery might be a bit foggy so I digress.

I'd arranged for a block of about 8 seats. For myself and most of my crew we went there with an open mind as it was the first pro soccer game we'd ever attended. Unfortunately the two participating teams were noted for playing a defensive brand of soccer and not surprisingly a snoozefest of epic proportions evolved. The only notable thing I recall about the game is that we were so enamoured with it that we left with more than 15 minutes to go. I've attended over 300 sporting events between NHL, WHL, CFL, NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA, Champ Car and even Aussie Football. That Soccer Bowl remains the only game I've ever left before it was over no matter how lopsided the score. Not surprisingly it also remains the only soccer game I've ever seen.

[Lionut]

It's an excellent idea to bring David Beckham over. After all, signing aging, washed up European stars worked so well for the NASL! It's funny to see this happening, because for those of us who remember the first incarnation of the NASL in the late 70s this is like watching disco make a comeback.

The initial buzz that was generated when Beckham signed has faded already, and he hasn't even played his first game. Sure, he'll draw a big crowd for the first game he plays in various cities, including Vancouver, but how about the second and third time? When Pele, whom I gather was a better player than Beckham ever dreamed of being, made his rounds in North America, he drew huge crowds initially, but that didn't stop the NASL from eventually closing up shop. This movie has been run so many times before -- the WHA signing Bobby Hull, the WFL signing Larry Czonka, the USFL signing Doug Flutie -- and every time it collapses like a bad souffle. Enjoy the game, soccer fans, but don't go thinking that Beckham is going to be the catalyst for an explosion of interest in pro soccer in North America. One guy simply can't do that.

[Robbie]

The '83 Soccer Bowl was between Tampa Bay Rowdies and I'm thinking maybe Tulsa. I was at that Soccer Bowl. It's a long time ago and but it seemed to me there were enough empty seats to think that a 58000+ attendance figure was somewhat fudged.

Actually, the '83 Soccer Bowl, played on October 1, 1983, was between the Tulsa Roughnecks and Toronto Blizzard. 58,452 were in attendance at BC Place to see Tulsa win 2-0.

[Hambone]

The '83 Soccer Bowl was between Tampa Bay Rowdies and I'm thinking maybe Tulsa. I was at that Soccer Bowl. It's a long time ago and but it seemed to me there were enough empty seats to think that a 58000+ attendance figure was somewhat fudged.

Actually, the '83 Soccer Bowl, played on October 1, 1983, was between the Tulsa Roughnecks and Toronto Blizzard. 58,452 were in attendance at BC Place to see Tulsa win 2-0.

There ya go. I got half of it right which I suppose is appropriate since that's about how much of the game I paid attention to. It left such an indelible mark in my brain I didn't even remember that a Canadian team was involved.

[Rammer]

It's an excellent idea to bring David Beckham over. After all, signing aging, washed up European stars worked so well for the NASL! It's funny to see this happening, because for those of us who remember the first incarnation of the NASL in the late 70s this is like watching disco make a comeback.

The initial buzz that was generated when Beckham signed has faded already, and he hasn't even played his first game. Sure, he'll draw a big crowd for the first game he plays in various cities, including Vancouver, but how about the second and third time? When Pele, whom I gather was a better player than Beckham ever dreamed of being, made his rounds in North America, he drew huge crowds initially, but that didn't stop the NASL from eventually closing up shop. This movie has been run so many times before -- the WHA signing Bobby Hull, the WFL signing Larry Czonka, the USFL signing Doug Flutie -- and every time it collapses like a bad souffle. Enjoy the game, soccer fans, but don't go thinking that Beckham is going to be the catalyst for an explosion of interest in pro soccer in North America. One guy simply can't do that.

To be fair, the WHA did continue teams within the NHL. But I agree with you the price tag involved for Beckham is a recipe for disaster, in fact it is the only route that is possible.

[Jim Mullin]

Considering the Latin American population in LA and SoCal, an aging Roberto Carlos might be an equal signing for Chivas in terms of impact in the stands. The Latin population is the backbone of the attendance in many of the MLS cities.

It's not a crime to build your sport as a multicultural/ethic sport in North America, when perhaps only baseball comes close to harnessing a global talent base here.

[120dB]

Well if it's an exhibition game, what's the big deal? What's the incentive for Beckham to go all out? And what's the incentive for 60,000 people to move their butts into the dome that evening as opposed to, say, going to a movie, nightclub, staying at home and watching tv, etc.

And those games down in Seattle that drew 67,000: were those also exhibition games or were they games that counted for points in standings?

[Black99GT]

how much better is the MLS compared to the USL(the league the white caps are in)...are the white caps gonna get owned or do they have a chance?...im sure the galaxy wont be trying too hard

[Hambone]

It's an excellent idea to bring David Beckham over. After all, signing aging, washed up European stars worked so well for the NASL! It's funny to see this happening, because for those of us who remember the first incarnation of the NASL in the late 70s this is like watching disco make a comeback.

The initial buzz that was generated when Beckham signed has faded already, and he hasn't even played his first game. Sure, he'll draw a big crowd for the first game he plays in various cities, including Vancouver, but how about the second and third time? When Pele, whom I gather was a better player than Beckham ever dreamed of being, made his rounds in North America, he drew huge crowds initially, but that didn't stop the NASL from eventually closing up shop. This movie has been run so many times before -- the WHA signing Bobby Hull, the WFL signing Larry Czonka, the USFL signing Doug Flutie -- and every time it collapses like a bad souffle. Enjoy the game, soccer fans, but don't go thinking that Beckham is going to be the catalyst for an explosion of interest in pro soccer in North America. One guy simply can't do that.

When Pele went to the Cosmos in 1975 he was 35 pushing 36 and had been lured out of retirement. Having already been retired for 2 years his signing was more like that of Gordie Howe for the WHA than it was comparable to Bobby Hull's inking. Pele's NASL stay was brief and lasted only 3 years. He would retire again after the 1977 season. By the time the Village of Vancouver knocked the Cosmos off in the 1979 NASL Championship he was 2 full years removed from the league and was gone for 7 years before it folded.

Comparitively speaking the soon to be 32 year old Beckham is still somewhat in his prime as he enters North American soccer. In terms of the soccer pitch itself Beckham's signing is likely more comparable to the signings of Beckenbauer and Chinaglia than to Pele. But make no mistake. With the global media being what it is in 2007 compared to 1975 I would submit that David Beckham's name is far more recognizable across North America today than Pele's was back then. Outside of averge sports nut very few North Americans knew who Pele was when he arrived in the NASL. Conversely thanks to shows like Entertainment Tonight, talk shows, various entertainment magazines and the gossip tabloids David Beckham is a household name all across the continent including in houses where likely nobody can tell the difference between a soccer ball and a basketball.

The LA Galaxy's signing of Beckham could put the MLS on the North American sportsmap. From listening regularly to Toronto station Fan590 around the time of Beckham's signing in Los Angeles indications were it had immediate and significant impact on FC Toronto season ticket sales. However it also could nudge the MSL towards the precipice of a very slippery slope. These upstart leagues go looking for those big names in hopes of landing the big network contract needed to sustain themselves financially. To paraphrase an NHL player this year who talked about having goons as being like nuclear weapons. If one guy has one the next guy has to have one too. Invariably what has happened for the leagues is one team lands a Beckham and it becomes like "Keeping up with the Joneses". Then the next team feels obligated to sign a Christiano Ronaldo. Then somebody will want to add Ronaldinho until everybody has a big name, high priced international star. The only problem is most teams can't afford them and teams start failing and folding. The big question will be can the MLS gain enough momentum off the Beckham signing and maybe one or two more before it starts cannibalizing itself and going the way of the NASL, WHA, WFL and USFL.

[Belize City Lion]

The '83 Soccer Bowl was between Tampa Bay Rowdies and I'm thinking maybe Tulsa. I was at that Soccer Bowl. It's a long time ago and but it seemed to me there were enough empty seats to think that a 58000+ attendance figure was somewhat fudged.

Actually, the '83 Soccer Bowl, played on October 1, 1983, was between the Tulsa Roughnecks and Toronto Blizzard. 58,452 were in attendance at BC Place to see Tulsa win 2-0.

I was also at that game, but I can't remember if the place was almost full, so I'm not sure if 58K+ was the number of tickets sold or actual turnstile attendance. I do remember there was a decent crowd however.

But I think a lot of Soccer Bowl tickets were sold in advance expecting the Whitecaps would be in the game (the Caps had one of their best seasons in 1983). Even without a home team in the championship anything at BC Place was still an EVENT not to be missed. Back in those first few months of BC Place even Raveen the Hypnotist could have sold out the joint.

Fast forward to 2007 and I don't know if Beckham and the Galaxy would qualify for the type of event status that would pack the dome. I think they will get 30K, maybe 35K. There could be a bigger push if; the Whitecaps have a great year (fueling more talk about joining the MLS), if Beckham actually makes a splash in North America, and if Toronto FC captures the imagination of soccer fans in Canada (possible due to the amount of national TV they will get).

[Sharpo]

I plan to boo beckham out of the building!. Its disgusting whats happened.

[Lion Guy]

I plan to boo beckham out of the building!. Its disgusting whats happened.

What happened?