No Becks appeal?

The desperate attempt to gain better yield from the tepid dividends on the David Beckham investment has led to exaggerated publicity on even the most trivial areas of his activities on or off the soccer field.

An assist, a nifty move, however inconsequential, or his support for some African cause is trumpeted to be the sure sign of the soccer messiah. And if he does score a goal, however rare an event, Mt. Vesuvius couldn’t match with its best explosion the resulting spectacle in the local press. The truth this effort aims to obscure is that Beckham is a fading star that, at his best, twinkled rather than shone brightly.

Michael E. White

Burbank