David Beckham and it was 45 years ago today....

So it's Monday Morning......whoopie......

Here's what was on my mind over the weekend:

David Beckham should be ashamed of himself. Here's the quick backstory:
In January of 2007, Beckham announced he would be leaving Real Madrid (who didn't really think he was good enough anymore, anyway) for the LA Galaxy to sign one of the largest contracts in pro sports that amounted, with endorsements, to $250 million over five years. That's a million a week, if you're counting.

After doing an admirable job for the most part of two seasons, he goes on loan to AC Milan for a two-month contract while the MLS is in it's offseason, promising to return in March.

Oops....See, it turns out Becks and Posh actually kinda like living in Italy and have no desire to come back now. The past week or so has seen negotiations begin between Milan and the Galaxy to allow Beckham to make a permanent stay.

It's this kind of behaviour that makes so many people hate athletes. This selfish, egocentric, narcissistic mind-set that only "I" matter and if I'm enjoying myself elsewhere, then...contract...what contract?

Beckham, already one of the world's richest and most recognizable athletes, should realize that without his word, he is nothing. By signing a deal with LA he not only agreed to play five years in the MLS, but also to help grow the upstart league and rejuvinate soccer in a non-soccer country.
This move on his part could set back those efforts by years by showing, once again, that the MLS isn't really where the top players go...it's where they go until somebody else wants them again.

Some more random weekend musings:

Curtis Joseph, currently a backup goalie for the Maple Leafs, is apparently six losses away from setting the all-time loss record for a goalie in NHL history. Will he even play six more games this year...or in his career?

Steve Nash, though past his MVP prime, still has it. He dished out 21 assists yesterday in a victory at Detroit. That is the most assists by one player the Pistons have allowed at home since 1985.

The Pro-Bowl is the most stupid, meaningless All-Star game of any of the four major leagues. Did you even know they played it yesterday? Starting next year it will be moved to the week before the Super Bowl in the same host city in an attempt to get it more exposure and relevance...good luck.

A-Roid apparently isn't as squeaky clean as people thought he was. I still don't think it should hurt his hopes of getting into the hall. What about those other 103 people who also tested positive in 2003? Let's find out who they are before we throw Alex under the bus.

Congrats to Tiger Woods and his Swedish nanny wife, Elin, who gave birth to their second child yesterday. The boy, whose name is Charlie, has already shot a 74 on Pebble Beach.

I've begun equating watching the Grammy's to kicking yourself in the groin for a fourth time. You know it hurts, why keep doing it? Although, the Paul McCartney performance was pretty cool.

Which brings me to my final thought:
Today, February 9, is the 45th anniversary of the Beatles playing for the first time on the Ed Sullivan Show. This performance not only was a landmark because it exposed North America to what was then Britain's biggest band, but it changed the landscape of the music industry forever.

In helping to begin the British Invasion, The Beatles became the world's largest and most popular band and truly crossed over to become a pop-culture phenomenon.

Who knows if without the Beatles playing that show on Feb. 9, 1964, we would have ever seen the likes of the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Clash, Radiohead, Oasis and countless other British groups who have also, in their own way, changed the music industry. In an homage last night, another Britsh supergroup - Coldplay, dressed up in Sgt. Pepper'esque garb for their live performance and even thanked McCartney for letting them steal the idea.

I had the privalege a few years back of seeing McCartney perform live in what was truly a transcendent performance. Thinking about hearing 20,000 people chanting "na, na, na, na, na, na, na Hey Jude..." still gives me tingles to this day. I also recently took a trip to London and went on a Beatles tour of the city, which included going to places such as the club where John met Yoko, the house where they played their rooftop concert and, of course, Abbey Road.

To the greatest band in the history of music, happy anniversary. Oh, and thanks.