"We wanted you to win more, to see more of your smiling face and for you to be beside us for ever and ever," said a lead story in the Woman's Weekly, which boasts a large readership among housewives.
"Even though you now turn your back on us to return to England, we will overcome our sadness to say 'Thank You Darling Beckham.'"
This is some really weird shit. They act like they own him. No wonder Beckham wants to play in Japan. He can nail all the bored, pining housewives he wants.
Whether adulation of this individual will help or hinder the development of football in Japan is still to be seen. While his presence definitely generates interest, especially among young women - who have the biggest disposable income in Japan - it also skews coverage of the sport.
After the Sweden game, the headline of every sports tabloid praised Beckham's "decisive" corner kick. The fact that Sol Campbell was actually the one who scored and England only managed a draw were almost forgotten as the tabloids hailed "The Right Foot of God" and the midfielder who is "too stylish for words".
Very typical of Japan. They concentrate on one star, which eclipses coverage of the actual sport. The exact same thing goes on with Ichiro--media coverage focuses on him (and the two or three other Japanese players in the Majors) to the exclusion of every other aspect of Major League Baseball. In fact, the way it is covered in the news makes it look like the Japanese players are responsible for their teams' success. God, how annoying.
