So... Beckham is here. I've got my ticket.

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great thing. It can only do good for MLS, even if he's a couple years past his prime. But with his June rejuvination, who knows? Maybe some really special things await us on the pitch. Hell, I broke down and scalped a pair of Galaxy tickets for September against Colorado (though I just realized that England is playing a Euro 2008 qualifier that same day... d'oh). Anyway, all that being said, I cannot help but completely agree with virtually everything expressed by Bill Plaschke in this morning's LA Times. The focus on Beckham's arrival has been about everything but soccer.

He is clearly showing up not as an athlete, but a celebrity. He is being chatted up not in sports bars, but star blogs. Folks are viewing him not as a leader of men, but as the husband of Posh.

Too true. When have you ever heard of a player in any team sport signing a contract six months before joining the team, when in fact the team he signed for has already been playing for three months before his arrival? The answer, obviously, is so that MLS could market the move while season tickets were still on sale. But that's the ploy of an icon, not a typical athlete. Becks probably could've arrived a month earlier if not for his surprising call up to the England squad, last month, where he excelled. So while most of Plaschke's editorial is pure truth, I still think this spot is pretty slick, if not completely self-indulgent, and I definitely plan on watching that match versus Chelsea. I do hold out hope that Beckham's play with the Galaxy -- limited though it may (read: will -- England are likely to recall him for September) be, boosts soccer in the States at least a little. It'll never be a "major" like MLB, the NBA, or the NFL, but the fan base is there to carry the sport upward.

Want to see real soccer, though? Be sure to catch the Copa America final, this Sunday, when Argentina waxes Brazil. Here's a solid piece comparing the two sides that also pretty well defines why a favored Argentina failed to win Germany '06.

One basketball gripe amid all this soccer talk. The Lakers welcomed an older Derek Fisher back into the fold. Listen, I understand that Fish is a veteran, understands the triangle, and has a great relationship with Kobe. I will always love him for hitting the 0.04 shot that killed the Spurs in 2004. But what am I -- a sharp critic of the Lakers' drafting abilities -- to make of Jordan Farmar (whom I actually like) and Javaris Crittendon? What is this triangle-oriented team doing with such a backlog of point guards, none of which they have faith in? Drafting Crittendon and a couple of future busts, signing Fisher... this isn't what Kobe was talking about when he said that changes need to be made. F*** you, Kupchak.

End of gripe.

So... Exactly what are we doing at Copa America?

US spanked 3-1 by Paraguay, three days after being slammed 4-1 by the Argies. I don't like our chances in a consolation game against a mediocre Colombia side on Thursday, either. Apparently, though, we squandered at least three golden chances to level the game at 2-2, yesterday, before Paraguay netted an insurance goal just before the end. Also, Jimmy Conrad all but gifted Paraguay the go-ahead goal, sleeping on a back pass in front of his own goal. Not a shocking results by any means, but it begs the question: What the hell are we doing at Copa America if we don't have any intention of competing?

I truly don't understand the selection of this team by Bob Bradley. You're throwing out a bunch of newbies to see what they can do, right? I get that. But why are they playing side-by-side with guys who will likely be too old or too worn to be in the national team picture in two years' time? Aside from Eddie Johnson and probably Taylor Twellman, none of the "vets" (aside from perhaps Justin Mapp and Ricardo Clark who hardly fit the description) on this team will be around much longer. So what's the sense in seeing if the new talent can blend with them? I realize we're just coming off the Gold Cup (so is Mexico, by the way, and they sent virtually the same team down to Copa because they seem to have at least the faintest bit of pride) and the Under-20s are happening, but still, it's stupid. Where's the common sense?

While we're talking Copa, check out Robinho's hat trick against Chile. The second one is classy and the third one gets me out of my seat.