The other day I was working away when one of the guys rushed up to me, excited look on his face, and said "Beckham just announced he's leaving Real Madrid, and guess where he's going." Now, I'm not a huge soccer fan, but I follow it enough to at least make a reasonable guess. So I said, "Chelsea?" His eyes got big and he was almost giddy when he told me the answer, "Nope, the L.A. Galaxy."

That surprised me. Beckham leaving Madrid was something I had expected since he left Manchester, but I didn't think he would give up the bright lights and crazy popularity of European football to come to the U.S. where the MLS is basically an afterthought in the sporting world.

There were some other factors though. For one, cash. To get this done, the MLS rewrote the rules on salary caps, allowing Beckham to sign a deal that is rumored to be worth some $250 million when endorsements are included. And, to Beckham's credit, he has been working at trying to improve the image of soccer in this country for a long time. Actually joining a team here is about as committed a move as he can make.