Sports Director Leonardo, left, British soccer player David Beckham, center, and Paris Saint Germain's President Nasser Al-Khelaifi, right, pose with Backham's jersey during a press conference, in at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. David Beckham will join Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday, opting for a move to France after mulling over lucrative offers from around the world since leaving the Los Angeles Galaxy.(AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Column: Beckham brings 'wow' factor to Paris
Sports Director Leonardo, left, British soccer player David Beckham, center, and Paris Saint Germain's President Nasser Al-Khelaifi, right, pose with Backham's jersey during a press conference, in at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. David Beckham will join Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday, opting for a move to France after mulling over lucrative offers from around the world since leaving the Los Angeles Galaxy.(AP Photo/Michel Euler)
By JOHN LEICESTER
AP Sports Columnist /
January 31, 2013
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If Ibrahimovic is PSG’s sports car, the player whose goals will help the team get places, then Beckham is the rare vintage automobile to be shown off but not driven wildly so his aging parts don’t overheat. He is an image-enhancer for PSG and Qatar, the Gulf emirate pouring billions into sport to win friends and influence and to provide future revenue when its gas and oil reserves are pumped dry.
In short, a big reason Beckham is in Paris is because PSG wants people like me to write this article and people like you to read it.
Are we really that easy to influence? Answer: Because of Beckham, I'm betting that if you didn’t know already, you can now say what the ‘‘P'’ in PSG stands for.
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John Leicester is an international sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jleicester(at)ap.org or follow him at twitter.com/johnleicester
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