Welcome Mr. Beckham!: I played soccer (football to those of you outside the USA) most of my youth, even into college. I am not good, could barely hold my own at times, but I loved the sport. It is the perfect sport for the Northwest where bad weather can stop a lot of sports. Unlike American Rules Football, you really don't have to have a big budget to play soccer, just some cleats, shorts, and a ball.

Professional soccer has never really taken off in America, and I really don't know why. I love to watch it, but it just doesn't have the same excitement as football. I have been to several games of the Seattle Sounders (now in an independent league) but nothing since then. That is about to change.

Today it was announced that the famed footballer David Beckham (formerly from Manchester United and Real Madrid) is making a switch to the USA to play in the MLS. While he will play for LA Galaxy, in my opinion every team should be paying him. This is probably a bigger play than getting Pele in his day. It is similar to getting Jeff Gordon to give up his job driving a taxi in New York to drive for NASCAR, or finding Tiger Woods playing in a municipal park and letting him play in the PGA. This is huge for the sport of soccer in America. Sure, he isn't as good as he was with Manchester United, but he is the biggest star in the world in sport and it is equally huge that he has chosen to play in the USA. As for me, I welcome Mr. Beckham (and Victoria) and I am looking forward to seeing him on TV (closest MLS team for me is a flight somewhere).