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February 28, 2007

The Beckham phenomenon continues, continued

At the risk of turning the blog into "Your One-Stop David Beckham Shop," we have to point out an item in Variety, the queen of the show business trade publications: Beckham in line for reality show. Yes, NBC is talking to Posh about a reality show based on the Beckhams' move from La Liga to L.A. We don't remember that same level of interest when Lothar Matteus joined MLS...

Posted by Jay at 04:16 PM | Comments (1)

February 26, 2007

The Beckham phenomenon continues

There was a lot of giddiness around MLS headquarters when it was announced last month that David Beckham would be joining the league, with at least some of that joy coming from the anticipation that Becks' presence would take the league's profile to a new level. So far, that idea seems to be absolutely right.

Beckham's signing has created a first for the SSV blog, too. We received an e-mail from a PR agency for Details magazine last week, asking us if we'd like an advance copy of Details' cover story on Beckham in their March issue (on sale at your local newsstand now). While we do have a lot of readers in a certain segment of the soccer community, we've been at this quite a while now without any PR firms taking an interest in our humble blog. But there you have it—Becks is coming and it's a whole new ballgame.

(Not a bad story, either, except for the comment that "Coming to America allows Beckham to jettison all the negative associations with his fading soccer potency, because, brilliantly, he’s found the one place in the world that couldn’t care less about any of that." First off, there are plenty of fans here who will be scrutinizing Beckham's performance on the field and second, anyone who saw last week's Real Madrid/Bayern Munich Champions League match knows that he was the best player that day for either team.)

Posted by Jay at 09:01 AM | Comments (0)

February 22, 2007

Operation Kuratelqadam

Yesterday, we wrote about how soccer can bring the disparate communities of the Bay Area together. Today, we have news of an even larger cultural divide that is being bridged by soccer.

Earlier this year, the South Bay Blue Star Moms (mothers of local men and women serving in Iraq) contacted SSV about making a donation of soccer balls that would be distributed to children in Iraq. We didn't have time to solicit donations from all our members, so we passed the hat among SSV's board and came up with $1,000 for the cause.

Not long ago, we received a note in reply from Lt. Col. Scott A Harris, commander of the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, stationed in Bayji, Iraq, saying

"...your efforts will prove immeasurable here in Iraq. We have handed out some of the soccer balls to needy children while we are on patrol. It is the most sought after possession here in Iraq. It brightens their day and positively influences their individual perception of U.S. forces as well as how their families view us. It is such a small item, but has such a great effect.

Thanks so much for your donation. It is making a difference."

They are calling the effort "Operation Kuratelqadam," the latter word meaning "soccer" in Arabic. All we can add is, "You're very welcome."

Posted by Jay at 02:27 PM | Comments (2)

February 21, 2007

Bay Area ranks among best soccer markets in the U.S.

One of the things that we at SSV have always found annoying is the idea, put forth in the past by some, that the Bay Area is a bad market for soccer. We think just the opposite and we think the facts bear us out: the Bay Area is one of the best markets for soccer in the U.S.

Today, we point towards two bits of evidence to support that contention:

- The February 7 U.S./Mexico match "was the No. 1 ranked program in its time period among Men 18-49 in San Francisco," beating out programs like "American Idol," "Lost" and "CSI: New York." The nationwide numbers, which you can find at the above link, were also impressive, and the Bay Area led the way.

- Today's San Francisco Chronicle has a front page story on a playoff match between Monte Vista High and Richmond High. The two communities in which these schools exist are at the far ends of the region's economic spectrum: Danville, home to Monte Vista, boasts high incomes and seven-figure real estate prices, while Richmond is most often in the news for the random violence and crime that have plagued the city for decades. Despite those differences, they have one thing in common: a love for soccer or, as the headline suggests, "A Shared Goal." The story is a great endorsement of our sport and its ability to bring people together.

There's a broader point to be taken from these two items as well. While the Bay Area is a great market for soccer, the sport also has the ability to reach across gaps that might not otherwise be spanned—which means there's an opportunity to build a great soccer community here that mirrors the region's diversity.

Posted by Jay at 09:43 AM | Comments (0)

Even is On covers SSV

We recently had the pleasure of talking with Ben Hooper of evenison.com (and yes, that's "even is on dot com," a reference to the offside rule, and not "eVenison dot com," an online purveyor of deer meat.) We had a chance to talk about SSV's origins, our perspective on MLS and soccer in the U.S., and where we see things going next. You can find the interview here.

Thanks again, Ben, for helping spread the word!

Posted by Jay at 08:30 AM | Comments (0)

February 05, 2007

USSoccerPlayers updates readers on Quakes' potential return

The U.S. National Soccer Team Players Association, the union of the U.S. National Team, has been a friend to SSV since our inception way back in 2004, when they publicly endorsed keeping the Quakes in San Jose.

Local writer Tony Edwards, a columnist for the union's web site at USSoccerPlayers.com, touched base with us last week to check in on the progress being made on the Quakes' re-emergence. You can find his story here.

Thanks, Tony! We appreciate the coverage.

Posted by Jay at 11:09 AM | Comments (1)

February 02, 2007

SI.com reports Quakes near a return to MLS

We at the blog have ignored a lot of the press coverage of the talks between Earthquakes Soccer, LLC, and San Jose State University. For one thing, we didn't want to make any comment on the wild rumors surrounding issues like stadium siting, capacity, parking, etc. We trust SJSU to protect the best interests of their school and football program, and we trust EQLLC to represent the needs of the soccer community.

The other reason we've declined to comment on the SJSU talks is because there are other sites under consideration, and the clamor around the potential replacement for Spartan Stadium ignored that. (When Lew Wolff pledges to bring a professional sports team to a community, along with a privately-funded stadium, it doesn't come as a surprise to us that several entities raise their hands and say, "Oh, me! Pick me!")

Nonetheless, we have to give a plug to Jonah Freedman's piece at SI.com on what he says is the imminent return of the Earthquakes. There's a lot of new information in the piece. We think it's worth a read.

Posted by Jay at 09:28 AM | Comments (0)