When the legendary Pele published a list of the greatest one hundred footballers of all time it caused quite a few eyebrows to be raised in consternation and annoyance. I am going to sidetrack all the arguments about what Brasilians should have and should not have made the list, and head for the green fields of England. The fact that David Beckham made the list was a truimph of modern marketing and PR. David Beckham is a good looking guy who can find the net with free kicks. He's a decent player, nothing more. Thus I have been constantly mystified by the success and adulation that he has receieved over the years. In interviews he has the charisma and intellect of a boiled potato. There are much better and more intelligent players who have not enjoyed his celebrity status and earning power. He has become an carefully marketed brand, playing into the hands of our society's obsession with celebrity culture. An example is his recent PR stunt with Paris St Germain. He has made it very vocal to the press that he is donating all his wages to a French children's charity. Now I am glad that a charity will be a few million Euros richer, that's great, but why the need to harp onto the press about it. I am not a natural cynic but the whole situation smacks of Beckham trying to boost his public image and convince us what a wonderful guy he is. It's pretty pathetic.
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