America, Are We This Shallow?

The Independent is reporting that Real Madrid were planning a summer tour of the U.S. (again?) but it's been nixed due to a certain players' exclusion from the line-up:

"Americans pull plug on £15m Real tour over main draw's absence Real Madrid have had to scrap a £15m tour of the US because the Americans are not interested in them without David Beckham.

The former England captain is adamant his last game will be Real's final league match, on 17 June against Mallorca. And his refusal to play beyond that has ruined plans for one more Beckham-related pay-day. The failure to set-up a game against LA Galaxy also means instead of bowing-out for Madrid against Galaxy he could be making his debut against Chelsea on 21 July.

Beckham is understood to be still unhappy over the way the club treated him during contract negotiations and when he signed for Galaxy, and he is also keen to take a break with his family before kicking off in Los Angeles. That also means he will miss the match in the Middle East on 19 June against an Israeli-Palestine select XI.

A spokesperson for the player said: "Real Madrid
went ahead and organised the game without consulting the players. Unfortunately,
David had booked holidays to spend time with his family in the short time he has
before the MLS season and that has to come first."

Surely "the new soccer nation" is not so uncultured that the likes of Ruud Van Nistelroy, Roberto Carlos et al are not deemed a sufficient draw without the presence of LA-bound Golden Balls. Maybe it's a question of the promoters Sports Capital Partners LLC (which is run by Dave Checketts, and last time I checked, still retains the exclusive rights to promote Real Madrid in the States) not seeing the team being worth that much money without all of the Galacticos of years past. Since the last time RM rolled through America, the likes of Ronaldo & Zidane have all moved on so it's is definitely a much different product than before.

What would you pay to see a less Galactic Real Madrid? Personally, I would put down $45 bucks as oppossed to the $65 it would have cost me in Utah or Seatlle last year. Name your price in the comments.