Beckham's England career cut too short

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03/15/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Some people may describe David Beckham as overrated, others might call him spoiled or pampered, but one thing that is very evident when it comes to Beckham is that he is persistent.

How else to explain why Beckham was running around the pitch at the San Siro in Milan on Sunday at the age of 34, when he should have been basking in the California sun halfway around the world?

Beckham simply lives to play for England's national team, and the only way he would get another chance to play for the Three Lions in this summer's World Cup was to pull on the red and black jersey of AC Milan.

All of which makes the sight of Beckham hobbling off the field in the dying minutes of Milan's 1-0 win over Chievo on Sunday with a torn Achilles tendon so hard to watch.

The injury will rob England's most-capped outfield player of a chance to join the team at this summer's World Cup in South Africa, which would have made him the first England player to take part in four World Cups.

Beckham's England career appeared to be over after the 2006 World Cup when he voluntarily stepped down as England captain, and was not in the plans of new England boss Fabio Capello.

He appeared well on his way to retirement when he left Real Madrid and headed off to California to play in Major League Soccer for the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007, like an elderly U.S. citizen moving to Florida or Arizona to live out their final years.

The Englishman would get to enjoy the sunny weather and would be right at home in Hollywood, while also collecting a decent paycheck for his efforts.

But a funny thing happened to Beckham as he crept closer to retirement; he realized that he needed to play for England again.

He had a past history with Capello at Real Madrid, as the Italian manager banished Beckham to the reserves, only for Beckham to earn back a place in the team.

And he pulled off a similar reversal after a successful loan spell at AC Milan, which gave the former Manchester United standout the opportunity to earn his 100th cap for England .

Many felt that Capello allowed Beckham to reach the milestone as a favor, and that he wouldn't have a chance to earn a seat on the plane to South Africa this summer.

However, Beckham returned to Milan again this past January with only one thing in mind.

"It's the only reason I am choosing to be away from my family for six months," Beckham told Fox Sports Radio about his desire to play at the World Cup. "Being in the World Cup squad is not guaranteed, even if I go to Milan it is not guaranteed, but I need to do everything possible to give myself a chance.

"It's always a roller-coaster in my career ... and it is going to be like that for the next six to eight months, but I am looking forward to it."

Little did Beckham know that his ride would be cut short just a few months into his England adventure.

After being kicked in the face in the opening minutes of Sunday's game, which left a nice little gash on the right cheek of one of the world's most recognizable faces, Beckham took a pass in midfield with no player near him late in the second half.

He took a step, but immediately grabbed at his left ankle and indicated to the bench that he was coming off.

He was examined on the sidelines for a few minutes and ultimately taken to the dressing room on a stretcher, but as tears streamed down his face he appeared to already know his fate.

To be fair, Beckham wasn't guaranteed a spot on the World Cup roster, but he appeared to be on his way to accomplishing what at first seemed a very unlikely goal.

He was not a player who would crack the starting 11, but was at peace with that fact and was prepared to contribute whatever he could to the team, whether it was to drop a pinpoint cross on the head of Wayne Rooney, or bend home one of his trademark free kicks.

Beckham's career as an England player has had plenty of ups and downs, from his red card against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup that saw him receive death threats, to his free kick goal against Greece that allowed England to qualify for the 2002 competition.

He has always been a magnet for attention, leading some to view him as more of a celebrity than a soccer player, but his desire to win back a place on England's team over the past couple of years has been inspiring.

His absence won't dramatically alter England's hopes of ending a World Cup title drought that dates back to 1966, but it provides a sad ending to an otherwise storybook career.

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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