Filip Bondy

Even in the ultra-capitalistic world of professional sports, there ought to be a limit to the phrase, “buyer beware,” when it comes to a transcendent superstar. If MLS officials don’t rethink an exit strategy now for David Beckham, they will pay dearly for their greed shortsightedness in extra time, infinitum.

Beckham is out with a sprained right knee for six weeks, which basically means the rest of the Los Angeles Galaxy season. He may well finish the year having played all of 310 minutes in six matches for his first $6.5 million.

The pre-arrival publicity … the red carpet treatment for Posh in L.A. … the crowd of 66,237 at Giants Stadium … a couple of nifty assists … it was all fun while it lasted.

But now it is likely done, and the league is left with a bizarre landscape of too many back-loaded Galaxy games against teams and fans that paid good money to see some soccer balls bent in extraordinary fashion. There are eight Galaxy matches scheduled for September, and a lot of angry ticketholders prepared to rebel if there are no refunds or exchanges available.

Organizers of an exhibition match scheduled for Oct. 3 in Vancouver, between the Galaxy and the Canadian national team, say they will likely reschedule the game or examine the possibility of refunds. The same policy does not seem to extend to MLS matches. So far, the league and its franchises are insisting they owe nothing to these supporters, who plunked down their money and took their chances.

MLS commissioner Don Garber says it is the same as in any sport, and the same in Europe when fans buy tickets to watch the likes of Wayne Rooney or Ronaldinho.

“Soccer fans understand how this works,” Garber said. “Top athletes get hurt all the time.”

But few people are happy about any of this, and it is a great lesson to everybody about the dangers of hyping one person above all else — particularly if that superstar is on the far side of his career, and known for his fragility. For a while there, when sales of Galaxy jerseys increased three-fold and ticket sales were soaring, the Beckham signing appeared a stroke of genius. Now it appears more like an anvil around the neck.

The league did not help itself by altering the rhythm of its entire schedule for Beckham’s arrival. The Galaxy was forced to play 12 games in the 40 days after Beckham’s arrival, which did his attendance record and sore ankle no good at all. This late summer concentration also coincided with the gathering of England’s national team, and Beckham’s recall to that side.

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Alexi Lalas, the teams’ GM, has termed the MLS schedule “ridiculous,” but did little to prevent the free-for-all when it was first proposed.

After a heartbreaking loss on Wednesday in the Superliga final — the only possible title the Galaxy might have grabbed — the (probably lame-duck) coach Frank Yallop finally lost it all during a post-match press conference and lashed out at the whole situation.

“All the crap that we’ve been going through, it's been difficult to (expletive) deal with," Yallop said. “Sorry to swear, but it’s been hard. The players kept going. That makes me proud. They are absolutely spent. They gave everything they had. That’s all you can ask for.”

Yallop said then that Beckham, “shouldn’t be playing, to be honest.” And now, he won’t be. The question is how the MLS deals with this crushing blow, and prepares for next season’s circus.

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If he is wise, Garber will order his clubs to offer ticket exchanges to fans for next season’s matches against the Galaxy. This will cost the teams considerable money, but gain considerable good will. There should also be a specific statement released to this effect: The MLS cannot guarantee the health of David Beckham. After that, caveat emptor goes into effect. By now, any ticket purchaser ought to be fully aware that any scheduled Beckham match in the future may turn into a match without Beckham.

In his brief visitation to our shores, Beckham already has suffered ankle and knee problems, fatigue, and the pressures of an over-adoring fan base. If he lasts five seasons here, he may well have earned his $250 million.

Beckham means well, we know that. But we’re already tired of the injury reports and sickened by the celebrity interviews.

The MLS can’t turn back the clock, or heal a wounded knee. But if the commissioner doesn’t do right by soccer supporters, then this whole experiment may end up costing the league some fans, instead of creating them.

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