Beckham vs Pele

[guru]

And yet he still is in the England Mens National Team...(Insert pisstakes here) but seriously, that is an accomplishment that he can get there,

and just prior to the Move to America he was a major reason Real madrid won La Liga just pipping Barca.

Sounds pretty average to me

He won't be there next time... his days are over, and in fact in the last world cup he shouldn't have been either...
You saying he was a "major reason", doesn't make it so... it's your opinion.

I don't see Beckham on the list here !
BBC SPORT | Football | World Cup 2006 | Pele tops World Cup legends poll

[Tim Berners-Lee]

And yet he still is in the England Mens National Team...(Insert pisstakes here) but seriously, that is an accomplishment that he can get there,

and just prior to the Move to America he was a major reason Real madrid won La Liga just pipping Barca.

Sounds pretty average to me

Major Reason???? hahahahaha you are retarded

[Regs]

Thanks for explaining my piss-take, that's always awesome on TTP!

Not far off... There used to be a competition in the '70's called "World Superstars". it was a show to establish which of the pro athletes from each pro sport was the greatest athlete. Budd won it the first 3 years he was in it, and they made a rule called "the Budd Rule", banning anyone from winning it more than 3 times.... He didn't start playing soccer till he was 19... this from Wikkipedia:
From 1977 to 1979, Budd won three straight Canadian Superstars competitions. His victories earned him a spot in the annual World Superstars contests, produced by U.S. broadcasters ABC Sports, which Budd won each time. That prompted the creation of a rule barring anyone from competing in a Superstars competition after their third victory—unofficially called the "Budd rule." Budd believed that ABC wanted him removed from the show because he was not well known to the American TV audience. His total winnings from the Superstars contests were about $170,000.

Here's an interview after the first time he won:

Just For Kicks: Soccer in Canada | CBC Archives

After that, Kyle Rote Jr. won it 3 times, (he played soccer as well)... This should dispell any argument over which athletes are the best ! Obviously baseball....
So don't make fun of Budd ! !

[johnnybluenose]

guru, that is not the debate, nobody is asking if Bex is one of the greatest all time...

He is arguably in the top 10 of his era along with the likes of Cantona, Ronaldo, Figo, Zidane, Totti, Del Piero, Raul, Van Nistelrooy,
Between 95 or so and up till around two/three years ago there were no clear cut people that would figure ahead of him on the right side of the park...

His work rate has always been high, his set pieces are second to none. His delivery of a cross or driven ball into the box was unparalleled and he had a small two month window of a renaissance at the end of the European season with madrid Last season...Winning a La Liga title.

It is not simply MY opinion. When he announced to the world he was LA bound Capello parked his arse on the bench at Madrid. But Beckham kept his head up and showed leadership. He was an integral part of Madrid's team down the stretch, and it is not my opinion. Feel free to peruse the attached links.

Beckham goal helps Real snatch win - CNN.com
IOL: Beckham savours Real happy ending
Beckham fit to play in Madrid's title-decider against Mallorca - International Herald Tribune
Bloomberg.com: Europe
I also remember seeing articles and quotes and such on Sky sports news etc with glowing reports from teammates etc like Van Nistelrooy and Raul and others mentioning how his class and leadership went a long way to winning that title.

Just because all of the tabloids coverage of his latest queer hairstyle or report that his tattoo says "I'm a Legend in my own mind" and not what he thought it said doesn't make him a poor footballer.

You lot buying into the british need to take people off their perch and slating of Beckham as being fashionable is too much...

[guru]

Thanks for explaining my piss-take, that's always awesome on TTP!

I was NOT explaining your PT... I was saying he was the worlds greatest athlete, and I said : "....don't make fun of Budd ! !"
In 'Budd's' time, he was a better footballer than Beckham in his time!

[guru]

guru, that is not the debate, nobody is asking if Bex is one of the greatest all time...

I didn't say anybody asked... just letting you know he's over the hill, and he has been for a few years...
Now let me ask you something... why am I right ?

[termatofylakas]

He is light years ahead of anyone else in the league.

Now that is funny considering from what little I have seen in the league these last 2 seasons, Cuatemoc Blanco is the best player in the league. He is better than Becks "technically" but Becks is not as bad as people make him out to be.

[pisstkr]

becks is still the best footballer in the world as far as ball to to feet from anywhere on the field is concerned. that is his game, it always has been. he will not dribble though 5guys to score. he will cross it to someone from the byline before looking to shoot. thats waht made him great on the wing. he wasnt overly fast or skillful he could cross.
If a team has a striker that had great control and a 1touch finish then he would go well with becks. thats what is missing at la. no1 around who is any good.

[guru]

I think that's the point here... Pele had it all... could turn 5 guys inside out, had speed, could drop a ball on a dime from 50 metres, had a rocket of a shot... he was overall the best player ever.... so how could he not have been the best we've seen in north america?

[sid]

True... the thing with these guys is that they have American television. Gretz it huge in Europe and even Asia, but not as much in S. America or Africa... He's more popular in Austrailia than people think. All this without the USA TV market... The test of a persons popularity is better gauged by how popular he is without all the media hype... impossible to do now, but that makes Pele all the more important in this argument... he was popular without the TV and internet.
It's American TV that makes Jordon and Woods so popular, and we only see American TV here, so you don't get a true picture about what other countries air... Americans make thier athletes larger than life by plastering them all over, it's not the same in other countries. The arogance of Americans automatically dubbing thier athletes the "best in the world" at every turn is enough to make you puke! World Series ! How did they get that title.... it's played only in the USA... ( I don't count TO) And the winner of the Super Bowl are always world champs... What a crock!
Bottom line, Becks is only thier for the money... period. He's huge their now, but it won't be lasting... Americans are all about "what have you done for me lately"...

I have no idea about Beckham's true talent, I haven't seen enough of him.... but what I have seen makes me wonder what all the hype is about... At 33 he's less of a player than Pele was at 38. Although the competition is tougher now. He was runner up twice for "FIFA World Player of the Year", so he had to be right up there when he waeals younger, '99 & '01.... now I think he's just average.

GUGUE
PELE IS A DINOSAUR LIKE U
beck is the real

[guru]

GUGUE
PELE IS A DINOSAUR LIKE U
beck is the real

Firstly Skid.... we're the same age ... or very close…

Next, what does age have anything to do with it.... read the question(s) …

How does this compare to when Pele came stateside way back in, what was it, 1976?

When all is said and done, who will have changed the way the game is perceived in North America more?

Lastly… ‘beck is the Real’…. what ? ? flash in the pan?

The same can be asked of Maurice Richard and Wayne Gretzky… who changed the perception of the game more? Obviously Gretzky…. As Richard had very little impact “changing” the game… Gretzky brought it to the US like never before… Although Orr changed it dramatically for Defensemen.

By the way… this thread is eons old! Get in the now!