Say Goodbye to Hollywood: Why Losing Beckham Ultimately Benefits MLS

It may seem a bit counter-intuitive to say that losing arguably the biggest star MLS has is good for the league, but that's the way it is. Adding Beckham did wonders for the league's overall public recognition, but he hasn't been the showstopping star he once was.

It's no fault of his own; Beckham has provided good service but lacked the target man necessary to turn his crosses into goals. It isn't that Americans need every pass to end up in the back of the net before we'll be interested in the league, but in a world of 18-hour or under news cycles, great goals simply have much better staying power than great chances that get squandered.

If Beckham completes a permanent move to Milan, it will do two things that MLS sorely needs.

First, it bring much needed money into the league. MLS teams have nowhere near the revenue streams that more popular American teams do and don't even begin to compete with their European counterparts. If teams can start selling players consistently in the intentional market, it will provide a good source of revenue that has, until recently, gone mostly untapped.

One large transfer won't do it, but Beckham's move could start a beneficial trend.

Second, Beckham's move to AC Milan would lend a certain amount of credibility to MLS that it has lacked. MLS will never approach the Premiership, Serie A, or La Liga for quality, this is just reality. The best thing the league can do is show what top class football could look like to a nation that largely ignores the world's game.

If Beckham moves, it could raise the profile of MLS clubs in the eyes of international players who are out of favor.

Can't break into Chelsea's first team? Take a year in New York to rebuild value before testing the market again.

Bad year for Barca? Spend a summer in LA, then reemerge in the January transfer window.

If Beckham stays and plays out the rest of his career with the Galaxy, he'll join players like Pele, who had a fabulous career and then moved to the US to draw crowds as his skills declined. Holding Beckham captive just makes MLS look all the more like a league for has beens and less-skilled players.

If he moves, however, it may raise the world's estimation of the league and ultimately draw better talent state-side, and that would help MLS more than Becks alone ever could.