comfortable and embarrassed by the mega attention. Both just like everybody else, and utterly nothing like them. There is no doubt, however, Friday was a gigantic deal.
Had to be; everybody kept calling it historic. Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas called it historic. MLS Commissioner Don Garber called it historic.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called it ...
Actually, it was difficult to hear what Villaraigosa called it over the boos and jeers, although one fan could clearly be heard to yell, "Is your girlfriend covering this?" If not, she was about the only L.A.
media member not to. You actually had to have a special credential to cover the uncloaking, which meant standing in line for about 30 minutes. Then there was sitting in the blistering sun for 45 minutes, and I would like to thank the Galaxy for getting those first 5 pounds off me.
The other half of this paparazzi-duo, Victoria Beckham, arrived a few minutes on the field before hubby, wearing a hot-pink dress with matching saddle bag. She wore stilettos that would have sunk into the grass if she weighed more than a few pounds. Victoria, who apparently is part of a big British girls pop group called the Spice Girls, stopped before a phalanx of photographers and modeled real professional like - left foot pointed in front of the other, hand on hip - before taking her seat in the VIP section on the field.
The video board showed the Galaxy's new jersey colors and Beckham's No. It kept reading, "The stars align," although there was clearly only one star on this day. Making his entrance By the time Beckham emerged from a stadium tunnel in a gray Burberry suit that looked like it had been tailored for a guy a couple of inches taller, the sweaty crowd was all beside itself.
He had a buzz cut and a beard several days old. He smiled and waved to the crowd. Think he stopped to turn some water into wine, and then took the makeshift stage.
record for me, recorded his every move. The whole affair was broadcast live by Fox. Kobe Bryant French-kissing Shaquille O'Neal couldn't get this kind of a turnout.
Then the blarney started flowing. Lalas said it wasn't simply historic for "the Galaxy, but the MLS and soccer in the U.S.
" Garber called Beckham "the right man in time." Tim Leiweke, president of AEG, owner of the Galaxy, announced the team had already sold 250,000 Beckham No. Coach Frank Yallop, echoing every Galaxy fan, said, "It's been a long wait, believe me.
" Villaraigosa took off his jacket, which made everyone a little nervous, but it was only to put on a Beckham jersey. When Beckham was introduced, blue, yellow and white confetti was shot into the air. The crowd stood, cheered and snapped phone pictures.
He smiled and waved again. Pretty sure a couple of angels played harps in the background. "Everything is perfect," Beckham said.
He seemed at ease. Said he always looked for challenges. That he believed soccer could be as big in America as it is internationally.
"Thank you to everybody who made my dream come true," he said. It was brief, but fine. All the sweaty people seemed to go home happy to have been a part of this historic moment.
Talking to media Afterwards he posed for pictures with a couple of soccer teams. Then he did separate interview sessions in several rooms. In Suite 202, he told us he'd driven himself to Carson from his Beverly Hills home.
That he'd only seen the Galaxy play on some DVDs the team had mailed. That now at 90 caps with England, he hoped to reach 100. There were no regrets at leaving Real Madrid and England.
How he was glad to have TomKat as friends and neighbors but had no Hollywood ambitions. How he hoped his signing with the Galaxy will encourage other international soccer stars to join the MLS. That as circuslike as Friday was, his initial press conference when he signed with Real Madrid four years ago had been similar.
"It's nice to have 400 press instead of two," he said. "I'm very proud to be part of today and proud to have so many fans come out and see me, and press as well." He was well-spoken, respectful, polite, grateful, pleasant.
If you're really hoping to dislike him as some pampered prima donna, he's going to make it hard. And if his Galaxy teammates are suspicious about his impact, that figures to pass, too. "They're probably seeing already, in the last couple of months since I signed the contract, the stuff that sort of surrounds me and sort of comes with me as a person and player," he said.
"I've always handled it in the right way, I believe, and teammates, once they've played with me or had me on their team for a few days or few weeks, they've realized I've always been in football to play football." And to make a few bucks, descend from the soccer heavens, and cause a sensation or two. Steve Dilbeck's column appears in the Daily News four times a week.
He can be reached at stephen.dilbeck@dailynews.com.
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