British Soccer Star’s Battle with Best Buy over Black Friday Ripoff Going Viral

What ever happened to customer service?Terry Gibbs, one of the top players in the United Soccer League and an MLS hopeful, is just looking for a fair shake from Best Buy, and now his story is blowing up on Facebook and Twitter.The story is simple and should have a very easy solution. However, Best Buy's unwillingness to rectify the situation fairly has made things much more complicated.On Black Friday, Gibbs stood in a Best Buy line for 12 hours in the hopes of scoring a television at an incredible Black Friday price. His patience paid off as he was able to secure a $500 television for $179.  However, when he took the television out of the box, the screen was cracked in pieces. He then took the television back to Best Buy, where he was told he would be refunded his original purchase price of $179 and then could pay the difference himself to purchase the television at the full price.Gibbs is in America chasing his dream of playing professional soccer. A native of London, England, Gibbs was an All-American at NCAA Division II Bloomfield College and has garnered tryouts with multiple MLS teams.Gibbs has developed into one of the top players ...

2012 MLS Cup: 5 Hilarious Ways to Sell Soccer in the United States of America

After finishing a trade show in Las Vegas, I booked myself to stay in Sin City through the weekend of November 3rd to watch both Oregon-USC and Alabama-LSU. Seeing as how those games weren't until late Saturday night, I decided to sit down and place a bet on the MLS Cup action that Friday night. Seattle was playing Real Salt Lake, and after placing a bet I truly tried to sit down and watch a non-World Cup soccer match from start to finish. This experience mirrored listening to Ben Stein give a two-hour powerpoint presentation on the history of banking. The game finished in a 0-0 tie, meaning I have absolutely no idea what to report on the game's "action." I tried, America, I really did. Instead of complaining about how strange I felt the experience was, I decided to take the high road and serve my country as best I can. Here are five hilarious ways to better sell the game of soccer in America...enjoy.  Begin Slideshow

David Beckham: Five Memorable Major League Soccer Moments

Despite December's MLS Cup Final being his last match in a LA Galaxy shirt, David Beckham isn't ready to retire just yet.The Englishman's future isn't clear, however, Beckham will have the opportunity to leave MLS in style. The 37-year-old has already won a MLS title in 2011, and if the Galaxy can retain the trophy this year, it will put a true Hollywood ending on his time at the Home Depot Center. Beckham's time in Southern California may not have started as hoped, but there's no denying he has not only increased the league's appeal to players and fans alike, but he has also been a major part of the Galaxy on and off the field. Now with the Englishman's days numbered, here are five of Beckham's most memorable moments as a member of the LA Galaxy. Begin Slideshow

Poll: Where Should David Beckham Go Next?

David Beckham is set to bring his six-year stay in Los Angeles to an end. With just days to go until his final match with the Galaxy, speculation is growing as to what the former England captain's next move will be.Beckham, 37, announced last week that the MLS Cup final on Dec. 1 will be his last match with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Since joining the club in 2007, he has helped the Galaxy win one MLS Cup, with the chance for another title upcoming.So, where will he go next? Beckham has been linked with clubs literally across the world, but only he knows where he might end up.Keep reading for some of Beckham's potential options, then vote in the poll below. New MLS clubBeckham's announcement last week included a tidbit that led some to believe he might work with a future Major League Soccer expansion club.Here is the comment (via MLSSoccer.com): "I don't see this as the end of my relationship with the league as my ambition is to be part of the ownership structure in the future."ESPN FC cites a report in Irish newspaper the Sunday World that said Beckham has been offered to join the newly reformed ...

Transfer Rumors: Why Chivas USA’s Juan Agudelo Should Play for Celtic FC in 2013

Just a day removed from being able to celebrate his 20th birthday, Chivas USA forward Juan Agudelo may have one more thing to celebrate by week’s end. After reportedly impressing Celtic FC boss Neil Lennon in his brief training stint with the club, a potential permanent move to the Scottish Premier League is in the works for Agudelo (via STV Sport), bringing a momentous end to his roller-coaster year. In recent years, it has become almost commonplace for Americans to take their talents to Scotland.  U.S. men’s national team players Carlos Bocanegra, Maurice Edu and Alejandro Bedoya have all recently played in the SPL—however, none are currently with bankrupt Rangers FC. The question is: Is a permanent transfer to Glasgow ideal for the American youngster? Agudelo’s potential move poses one minor issue. Simply put, the SPL is not regarded as one of the top-tier competitions in Europe. The UEFA country coefficient—which accurately ranks the prestige of football associations across Europe—currently ranks Scotland 26th. True, Agudelo would be playing against European opposition, but it would be inferior when compared to that of the MLS. As a whole, the moderate competition MLS provides is better suited to polish the skills of the 20-year-old striker.  ...

MLS: David Beckham’s American Dream Is Over, Where Does the MLS Go from Here?

When David Beckham agreed to leave Real Madrid for the Los Angeles Galaxy in January of 2007, the MLS hoped to bring a new level of excitement and awareness to soccer in the United States.Ever since its first season in 1996, attendance had been in a steady decline for two main reasons: The failure of the national team to inspire in a big way, and perhaps most significantly, the lack of truly world-renowned players on offer.Adjusting the salary cap rules by introducing the 'Beckham Rule' to enable the signing of international stars in 2007 gave Major League Soccer a chance to address this major issue. Teams now had money to throw at household football names and the L.A. Galaxy were first to step up to the plate.While Beckham was never the best player in the world, his marketability and sex appeal made him a perfect match for a league in desperate need of hype. All of a sudden, the L.A. Galaxy existed to international fans of the game.More importantly, the MLS existed worldwide.The league saw this as a major step forward, and it was. Six new franchises have entered the MLS since his arrival, and while he cannot take the lion's ...

MLS: Power Ranking the 5 Things MLS Fans Should Be Thankful for on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time where millions of Americans consume an average of 3,000 calories and 229 grams of fat in one serving. Families across a multitude of cultures gather around the table with close and distant family members, reminding each other of the invaluable things in life they are thankful for. Now maybe it is because of the inferiority complex we share as a fanbase, but the MLS community is a small family of its own. No matter where your allegiance lies, we all share one common mission.  In short, it is a feasible big-picture aspiration: Propelling an American soccer league to the forefront of a crowded sports market. So before we give thanks for the obvious things in life—family, friends and health—let us look at the five things MLS fans should be thankful for on Thanksgiving.Begin Slideshow

Why the LA Galaxy Deserve to Be Crowned MLS Cup Winners

The one bonus (or flaw, depending on one’s perspective) of American professional soccer in relation to the rest of world football is that the end of the season is guaranteed to finish with a bang. While the overwhelming majority of professional soccer leagues in the world play in a single-table format where the regular season determines the champion, Major League Soccer is one of the few leagues that uses an end-of-the-year playoff to determine its champion. In a single-table system, there are many instances of the champion being decided weeks before the season is even over (last year’s English Premier League finish is obviously a glaring exception). In the playoff system MLS uses, much like the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds, the winner comes down to one highly anticipated game. So now, after preseason friendlies, 34 regular season games, CONCACAF Champions League games and the U.S. Open Cup, MLS is finally ready to determine its champion. On December 1st, the LA Galaxy will take on the Houston Dynamo to determine the winner of the 2012 MLS Cup. Here are four reasons the LA Galaxy deserve to come out on top.   Bruce Arena’s Management of His Designated PlayersIt would be ...

Why Are People Jealous of David Beckham?

This week, David Beckham made a huge announcement that will shape the story arc in the final chapter of his exceptionally successful football career. On December 1, Beckham will play his last competitive game for LA Galaxy, and there's no doubt he has divided opinion since his arrival to Major League Soccer in 2007.Sometimes, the opinion of Beckham has little to do with him as a football player and more to do with him as a person. Despite the fame and fortune, Beckham has always remained a passionate football player. Ultimately, he just loves to play. He wishes he could play forever. And surely, the game would be better off with him prolonging his career for as long as he could, right? You would think so.There seems to be an unnecessary undertone to some of the dialogue related to Beckham. Upon his announcement, fans took to social media to voice their opinions, and he is definitely a polarizing figure who can bring out the ugly in some people.But why is this the case when Beckham has always been a solid professional, a great role model for kids and is generally a very good bloke?Is there a tinge of jealousy in the air?Begin ...

David Beckham’s MLS Adventure Is Almost Over: Was He Value for Money?

It was finally announced this morning that David Beckham’s MLS adventure is reaching its finale.The Twittersphere has been awash this week with tweets about Beckham supposedly opting for one last venture before retirement, but we are never one to comment on rumors or conjecture here at Bleacher Report. However, the tweeters were correct, and he will play his last game against Houston Dynamo, with LA Galaxy looking to defend their MLS title. The official announcement about Beckham’s departure from the MLS in December gave me the opportunity to pass judgment on his LA Galaxy career. Beckham joined LA Galaxy from Real Madrid in 2007 to the backdrop of much media fanfare and the astonishment of the football community. His contract was worth an estimated $6.5 million per year, a sizable salary for someone who was already 32 years old. When he signed on the dotted line, he stated his intention to grow the MLS’s reputation, making it a household brand to compete with the global football giants like La Liga and the EPL.The football world was about to witness the emergence of a new powerhouse domestic football league. So, did the colossal expenditure justify the means? "No" is the simple answerIn a ...