COMMERCE CITY, Colo. - All-Star defenseman Jimmy Conrad was leaning over the railing discussing the future of soccer in America and holding a soccer magazine in his hand.
One hint as to who was on the cover: It wasn't Jimmy Conrad.
Major League Soccer is David Beckham's world now, and everyone else - even MLS All-Stars like Conrad - is just living in it.
That's been readily apparent this week, as the All-Stars get ready for today's game against Celtic FC, but can't escape the reality that all the buzz is about Beckham - who is scheduled to make his debut with the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday, but will be watching today's game from the commissioner's box.
"A very layered and complex question," is what Conrad calls the conundrum of exactly how Beckham will fit into a league that many believe he has come to America to save.
There will be star power, for sure. Beckham drew 5,000 to a glorified news conference last Friday where he was officially introduced to Galaxy fans. Adidas reports shipping 250,000 of Beckham's new jerseys to stores over the past week or so.
But there are issues, as well. How, for instance, will a guy who signed a five-year, $32.5 million contract fit into a league where the median salary is $52,965 and 91 players made $17,700 or less.
"It feels like a slap in the face," All-Star Dwayne Replica Zenith Watches De Rosario said.
Beckham's debut is scheduled for Saturday in the Galaxy's friendly against Chelsea, though an ankle injury could sideline him.
Commissioner Don Garber said he was putting no pressure on Beckham to suit up Saturday.
"Certainly, David is going to be healthy. We hope he gets better quickly," Garber said. "But this is a long-term commitment. There's no need to rush this."
During his "State of the League" news conference Wednesday, Garber spent nearly an uninterrupted hour discussing all that is right with MLS, the 12-year-old league that has struggled to gain a foothold in a country reluctant to embrace soccer.
The commissioner mentioned Beckham only a few times - giving the impression that soccer's biggest name was more like a mere piece of the puzzle than a savior.
To Garber, Beckham's arrival fits with the league's announced return to San Jose, four new national TV contracts, a good expansion experience in Toronto, this year's 300 percent increase in jersey sales (not including Beckham jerseys) and broader plans for international play. All are part of the big strategy that the commissioner says will eventually put MLS in with the so-called major sports in America.
"The enlightened ones are getting that," Garber said of the sports editors he meets with to ask for more space in their sections. "The non-enlightened ones are not, and they're missing out."
Conrad agrees that the MLS is making strides, but thinks it must handle Beckham's arrival the right way for things to really take off.
Other players are going to see the red-carpet treatment Beckham gets in every city.
"Then, they're going to want that, too," Conrad said. "If it happens one night, and then it doesn't come Louis Vuitton Handags Replica back the next, some guys are going to wonder."
He'd also like to see a day when the MLS' tightly controlled salary structure is loosened up. Teams have a $2.4 million salary cap, but this year, an exc
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