first of all, when you look at this guy all dressed up in a tux, you probably would expect him to be busing tables, not being the most badass footballer on the planet, by far. thats just another thing that sets soccer apart from its american counterpart, you dont have to be of a certain size or shape to excel. look at the andy reids and charlie adams of the world.
but, i got to thinking how the game might transform if our best athletes did play soccer. i'm convinced that michael vick would be twice the player eddie johnson ever was if he stepped on to a field tomorrow. thats an exaggeration of course, who knows if michael has ever kicked a ball, but you get the point. the fact that eddie johnson (nothing personal ed) is even still in the discussion for the national team is a reminder of how shallow our athlete pool still is, and yet we have far and away the most gifted athletes in abundance on the planet.
So why is the US still struggling to draw its best players? Its a complex and underpubliscized answer there, but none of which should have to do with money. If washed up NBA rejects can make their way over to China and Greece for top dollars, then there's no reason the allure of becoming an international superstar shouldn't be the dream of the next Noel Devine.
