I just read on ESPN (here) that David Beckham who plays for England’s National Team and Real Madrid has signed a 5 year contrack with the MLS for roughly $250 million. This is by far the biggest signing and the best player to ever hit the US league.
Why would he do it? Well for starters, he’s not nearly as good as he used to be. He was never the best dribbler or dominant in the midfield but he has always been an amazing crosser and was deadly on set pieces (free kicks). Now that’s gotten older (he’s 31), he’s become more of a liability on the wing as he’s not as fast as younger players. While this is a problem when you play on one of the best clubs in the world, it’s not that big of a deal in the MLS where he’ll definitely be able to hold his own.
Second, the US is the land of marketing, sponsorships and celebrity. Even more than a soccer player, David Beckham is a celebrity. He’s 
married to a pop star (Posh Spice) and frequently models. England’s national team coach has often said that his off-field activities get in the way of his game. In England, they’re not used to this behavior, but in the US it is almost encouraged. The US is a gold-mine for people like Beckham and Posh. I’m sure when he looked closely at his “career” he saw that he’s better off maximizing his celebrity at this point than trying to extend his soccer dreams.
I expect him and Posh to be regular fixtures in the entertainment gossip world and it’s only a matter of time before we start to see him popping up in crappy B-movies. But, being in crappy movies at age 35 is probably a lot better than what lots of other former soccer players are doing. And, it’s something that you can do for the rest of your career. I just hope the US is ready for the faux-hawks.
He recently ran 50 marathons in 50 days (age 44). He ran 350 miles without sleeping (over 3 days). He ran the only marathon to the South Pole. The list goes on and on. The guy is awesome.
This was by far my favorite album of the year. So many of the songs are great and get me going. My one negative comment is that many of the songs sound similar but they are so awesome that this one aspect is easily overlooked. Album highlights: Long Distance Call, Consolation Prizes, Rally, and Napolean Says (
This came out in the beginning of the year and dominated my playlists for at least 2 months. I’ve loved all of Jack’s previous albums but i thought they had been steadily decreasing in quality. Granted, they are always extremely listenable, but they were becoming less catchy and more bland. Nothing like Flake, Mud Football or Bubble Toes, which were on the first album, came on the subsequent albums. But, leave it to a little curious monkey to get him back on track! Songs and Lullibies is an amazing album. It’s catchy, fun, and completely feel-good. Songs like 3 R’s, Upside Down, Jungle Gym, and The Sharing Song are bouncy and catchy and just completely enjoyable. (
Okonokos is the MMJ album that came out in 2006. It renewed my love of MMJ and took me to see them at the 930 club in November. One of my main complaints of the concert is that they were so damn loud that it took away from the great music and lyrics. So, this live album and concert caused me to explore Acoustic Citsuoca, a past acoustic album, which is my favorite. Citsuoca is a shorter EP album but the recordings of each song, especially Golden and Bermuda Highway are so smooth and mesmorizing, they are well worth about a 1000 listens. (
I 
I’ve always been a big fan of instrumentals and especially funk-laden tunes. Some of my favorite Beastie Boys songs have been their instrumental jams. Songs like In 3’s on Check Your Head were my favorites on all their albums. So, you can imagine my happiness when i saw an entire album comprised of their instrumental tunes. These are great songs to work to or play in the background of a party. It’ll give everyone a little extra movement in their step. (No download, sorry)
This album came out in the beginning of 2006 and was one of the main albums that got me back into indie rock. These guys had some great guitar riffs (see Certain Romance) and some cheeky lyrics (Riot Van and Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor) and almost all of their songs are fun to listen to. A great album that’s worthy of a listen if you like indie rock. I actually think the EP “Who the F%#*k Are the Arctic Monkeys” has better songs but this is the real album that i actually listened to a lot. (
I was never a big fan of Justin and never got into any of the boy bands. So when people were saying how great his new ablum was, i pretty much ignored them. That was, until i got hit with SexyBack and My Love over and over and over (and over) again at different parties and clubs. So much that i began to actually began to groove to them. There was something primal to the songs that made you want to dance. So, dance i did and so much so that there’s no way i could mention albums of 2006 without mentioning this album even though i’m slightly embarassed to do so. (
This is a great album and Trains of Brazil is a great, great song. This album makes the list because i love these songs, but it’s not higher because i didn’t actually put this album on all that much (or more than any of the ones listed above). So, download the tracks, take a listen and enjoy, especially Brazil and Who Left The Lights on Baby? (No download, sorry)
“Keep in mind Brian McBride is playing with titanium plates in his face.” John Harkes discussing McBride’s condition while the states were playing World Cup champion Italy. McBride broke his face in the first game when the US lost a shocker to Poland and then with a lot of grit and heart they tied the eventual champs 1-1.
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I am Flash. Not because i want to be, but because i am most similar to him. See, here are the results of my superhero quiz. You should try one (