"Once In A Lifetime: The New York Cosmos"

There are times in life when we see something that just blows us away and we feel the need to share. Having just watched the 2006 documentary titled, "Once In A Lifetime: The New York Cosmos," I felt so compelled.

I have to preface by saying that as a 33-year-old soccer fan, who has had the opportunity to live in a land where football (soccer) is the number one sport, and then returning here to the US where it is still trying to establish itself; I was blown away by this movie. Like most soccer fans, I likened the now defunct North American Soccer League with the New York Cosmos and the Cosmos with Pele. Aside from knowing that in the late-70's they sold out games at Giant's Stadium, my knowledge of the team was so limited. I knew that Franz Beckenbauer played for the team and that it was founded prior to his arrival, the teams and indeed the leagues success began with the most lucrative financial sports signing of the time in that of Pele.

Prior to seeing this, I was of the idea that the Cosmos were a team of has-beens who played against the never-weres, and whereas the latter is by-in-large true, The New York Cosmos team from 1975-1981 - particularly 76-79, was probably one of the best line-ups of playing talent ever - in any league. Yet with such an abundance of talent come the inevitable clashes of egos, which we in the US see all too often in our sports.

I choose not to write a lot about the content of this movie because I think it's important for any fan of soccer to rent and watch it for yourselves. I guarantee that your outlook on the development of soccer in the US will be seen in a different light. This movie changed my opinion and outlook on the long term prospect of the sport in our country and the reasons are many.

One thing is clear, the Cosmos and NASL grew too big and too fast. They were marketed poorly to Americans and without long term planning and player development, they were destined to fail, but for those great few years, I think there were wheels put in motion, which while not tangible, are evident today. I think that the folks who are so desperately trying to make the MLS work, understand what happened with the Cosmos and the NASL and thus are taking a different approach and letting the league grow a slow rate. I think the addition of a star like David Beckham is more than a shot in the arm. I think it's a first piece of a larger puzzle. Having learned more and more about soccer's successes and woes in the US I find people like Jim Rome to be absolutely wrong when saying that soccer has no future in the US. I just think that there are still so many people that don't get it, but if you look at the numbers, the MLS is growing in attendance and youth soccer is still the faster growing sport in the US.

Will the MLS ever be on par with the Premier League? Perhaps not, but I will not say no. I think that the sky truly is the limit for this sport and that without the lessons of the Cosmos as well as the huge, albeit short burst of enthusiasm of the sport over two decades ago, we wouldn't be where we are now.

This movie needs to be seen if you love soccer, history, and want to take a nostalgic look back American sports. Decide for yourself if Steve Ross was a visionary or threw around money in the wrong places. You, like me, will understand that the first team to sell out Giant's Stadium was not the Giants and the first million dollar players were not from our "big 4" leagues. While these two things have little to do with the huge impact this team had, they are interesting fact that when a few men have a dream, that dream can carry on, even after the initial impact is seemingly gone.

David Beckham - Bend It Like Pele

Not more than a half hour ago, history was made in Los Angeles at the Home Depot Center. With a capacity crowd including a not-too-shabby 11,000 season ticket holders, a large and eclectic mix of A-list celebrities, and no less than 19 ESPN TV camera's mounted around the stadium, the suspense and speculation came to an end. The hype, however, may be far from over with this one, especially if it has legs. It being he. He being David Beckham, the former English, Manchester United captain, and most recently a member of the Spanish League champion squad, Real Madrid. He being the biggest star to play professional soccer in the United States since Pele retired for the final time. Anyone with a little knowledge of professional soccer in the US knows how soccer fared with that go around, but this is different. In 1975, Pele signed the biggest professional sports contract in history to play for the New York Cosmos of the North American Professional Soccer League. The million dollar signing was unheard of at the time in sports, but the Cosmos were trying to establish a brand in a country that was enamored with Football and Baseball. Here we are 32 years later and Beckham has signed one of the biggest sports contracts in the world to play for an American league that is inferior to every league he's played in, but listen very closely when the Major League Soccer officials whisper: "Beckham was not brought here to save soccer. Soccer doesn't need saving."
I couldn't agree more. The MLS has already lasted far longer than any other outdoor professional soccer leagues and it's star players are younger and better than the men who came before them. Soccer is a niche sport in the US and comparing it leagues like MLB, the NBA, and the NFL isn't fair. Now Beckham might not be a spring chicken, but in soccer years, he's a young 32-year-old and in better shape that most. Pele on the other hand, had already retired at least once and with well-documented monetary issues, was easily persuaded by the lucrative cash.
Having lived in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and being a 17-year fan of Manchester United - long before Beckham arrived at Old Trafford - This was a unique opportunity for me to see a great team that played minutes from my former home, to see a former Man U star, and to see the fans, media, and camera flashes usher in another era in Beckham's career.
Less than a week a ago, after merely one practice, it looked as though the debut of the English superstar known best for his free kicks and his amazing ball-placing ability, may be put off until his ankle healed. The very thought of which sent ESPN executives into a tizzy. Prime time on Saturday night with that many cameras to just see the Los Angeles Galaxy? Well, Landon Donavon's a good player, but he's no David Beckham. Can he play on the same field as Beckham, talent-wise? No doubt. Does anyone know? Nope, but this isn't the reason to pick apart why Donavon and Beckham aren't sharing the spotlight. That's a whole different blog and I'd rather wait to see what happens the next time a European club starts calling. If he snubs yet another for the security and low pressure of the MLS, well, then perhaps we'll address the issue, but for now, the pressure is all on Beckham. Just don't tell him. For all intents and purposes, he acts like it's all just another normal day.
With a newly taped ankle, Beckham was substituted in with 12 minutes to go in the match. The crowd went crazy and there may have even been the hint of a smile on Mr. Beckham's face. After an unwelcome, but fair tackle about 7 minutes later, Beckham got back to his feet. For a moment, as he was charging the ball, it was as though this night wasn't all about the pageant surrounding the player. As we know, this match was a friendly, a mere pre-season match for Chelsea, and hopefully the parade before the big game.
The truth is that Beckham could truly have an impact on his team. He has the leg and accuracy to make a connection with Donavon the most prolific scoring forward in the MLS. Make no mistake, this isn't some farewell tour like Pele enjoyed in New York. Beckham may be taking this assignment more seriously than any other. Soccer pundits think that Beckham may have come to the US to escape the pressure and huge talent pool of the European leagues, but the irony is that just a month ago, Beckham won Spain's biggest futball honor, which was just after he was called back up to the English squad to show the brilliance the team had almost forgotten about. David Beckham is far from done proving people wrong. Tonight he got a brief taste of Hollywood. When all is said and done, I'm curious is Hollywood will portray him as the hero they have portrayed Pele.