“The risk is vast. One of the problems in the sports industry is when you are relegated to relying on an athlete’s performance, you can be in big trouble. Whenever you align yourself with one athlete, you lack diversification.”
— David Carter, the head of the Sports Marketing Group and a professor at USC’s Marshall School of Business, on the risk MLS takes of putting so much of its promotional emphasis on David Beckham, who is sidelined for a month at Real Madrid with a knee injury. Carter added that there will be a lot of pressure on MLS and AEG for Beckham to be in the Los Angeles Galaxy lineup. The Galaxy plays in every MLS market after Beckham’s arrival in July. (San Diego Union-Tribune)