by Graham Fisher

Created on: January 14, 2008   Last Updated: October 31, 2008

We all love a comeback. We all love to see someone or something that had been long forgotten or discarded, make a triumphant return to the big stage. It inspires us, gives us all hope, and shows that nothing is impossible.

Talking of impossible, my prediction for the biggest comeback of 2008 in sport is regarded by many around the world as the impossible dream. Could soccer really take off in the United States? I predict that it will, and by the end of the year, Soccer will be challenging the big three of Football, Baseball, and Basketball, to be the most popular sport in North America.

Ok, now you've stopped laughing, I'll explain why I am making this outrageous prediction. Soccer is the most popular sport throughout the world other than in the States. It is not easy to define why the game has never caught the imagination of the American public.
Briefly, back in the 1970s when great players like Pele, George Best and Franz Beckenbaur played for the New York Cosmos, it seemed that soccer might get a foothold. It was short lived however and the game sank back without a trace as quickly as the money men had tried to introduce it.

Now, over thirty years on another major effort is being undertaken. This time, the shining light leading the attempt is England football star David Beckham. Becks, as the English refer to him, is an all round good bloke. He is a fine player and a good role model for kids. He has a pleasant and likable personality, and Hollywood film star looks. He is also married to Victoria who is currently going through her own comeback as Posh Spice in the newly reformed Spice Girls.

So why do I think that Becks will succeed where others have failed? Well the fact is that the 1970s players, Pele, Best and Beckenbaur, were all better players than Becks has ever been, let alone now when he is in the final years of his career. The one thing Becks has that they didn't though, is celebrity. In the noughties, celebrity is everything. It is difficult to read any news in a newspaper or see any news on the television. Everything we are fed from the media is based around celebrities. This is where Becks has a big advantage. He is a celebrity, his wife is a celebrity, and as a couple, they are hot property indeed.

If Becks can win over the American public, then he will have a real chance of raising the profile of Soccer generally. Other fine players have joined the LA Galaxy, and other clubs, and as the crowds increase, the money grows, and the game improves, I'm

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