Ending it like Beckham

EDITORIAL

Ending it like Beckham.

Footballer's choice to leave England a case of a young man's passions melding into an older man's pragmatism.

So, do you want to bend it like Beckham or earn it like Beckham? The man himself doesn't seem to know for sure. "I don't want to go out to America at 34 years old and have people turning round saying, 'Well he's only going there to get money'," he had said. That was just a few days before he put his pen to that "Sports Contract of the Century", which made international headlines on Friday. David Beckham, the idol of millions of kids - and no doubt millions of business-minded adults - is set to become one of the highest paid sportsmen in the world after signing a five-year deal worth up to US$250 million (Bt8.9 billion) with Major League Soccer side the Los Angeles Galaxy. "What persuaded you now?" the headline on The Guardian's website asked.

The real question should have been "Why?" not "What?" And the answer is he has probably grown up. To criticise him and bemoan his "greed" is easy but wouldn't you like to be in his place? The former England captain may have just arrived at that juncture in his life when his greatest passion became barely recognisable, even to himself.

What would you prefer to do - bend a glorious 35-yard free-kick into the top corner of the net at the last minute to win your team the Champions League trophy, or earn Bt30 million a week? Ask a 14-year-old boy and a 35-year-old man that same question and their answers are likely to be different - and don't be surprised if that boy and that man are the same person at different stages of life. Everyone has a dream, but life often intervenes.

Passion can drive one to glory, but the latter can dim the former. To be fair to Beckham, it is admirable that he managed to remain at the top level for so many years despite the fame, money and controversies that have cascaded down on him since his very young days. Married to one of the hottest and sexiest singers around. Hounded by the media. Commercial disputes. Sex scandals. High profile fights with his manager. Mixed in with all of those kinds of things was one spectacular goal after another and arguably consistent performances that earned him the England captaincy.

The LA Galaxy deal only signalled that Beckham the footballer has gone as far as he could, perhaps even farther than many of his critics had expected. However, it's now David the Brand Preserver taking over from a player who gave his fans countless memorable moments.

His decision "marks the culmination of a strategy aimed at preserving his brand long after the footballer has faded", The Guardian said. "For all his considerable skills, his celebrity has long outstripped his talent, and the move signals the end of his career as a footballer of significance."

One might ask what's wrong with that - the media made him a celebrity to begin with and what would his critics do in his place? At least Beckham will still be playing football. He will be an ambassador for the sport, albeit a very, very rich and highly paid one, in the United States. And he is known to be eager to set aside a share of his fortune for a soccer academy project in Los Angeles. In fact, Beckham is very lucky that he is in a field where commercialism won't make that idealistic 14-year-old frown upon the 40-year-old all that much.

It would be much tougher if, say, you are a news presenter. You may start off sitting in the attic of your home operating your own "community radio". You use cheap hi-fi equipment and a home-made radio transmitter to air everything you like - from political commentaries to sport talk to entertainment news. You enjoy it not because of money but because you think you are doing something meaningful. But as your popularity grows, not only does your audience love you, but big corporations and even the powers-that-be also do. That's where things get complicated.

The same goes for many other careers - NGO activists, entertainers, doctors, scientists, innovators etc. The desire and aspiration to "Bend it like Beckham" is inside all of us. What constitutes "success" though varies according to our age. At one point in life, just the ball at the back of the net and the deafening roar of the crowd is enough. When we get older, the "goal" is simply not what it used to be.

The Nation
Mon, January 15, 2007