Many AMERICANS, including myself, know nothing of soccer, or futbol. To me, it is a mysterious sport played by men in shorts, who run from one end of a field to the other, while they kick a ball. About once an hour, the announcer screams “GOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!”, the crowd goes wild, shortly thereafter, a riot breaks out and the entire town, where the event takes place, is destroyed or seems to be. Or at least, that’s the image I see on TV.

Whatever the real game is, futbol seems to attract a very aggressive, rowdy crowd, and its’ stars seem to be arrogant, vain, and unfriendly. Witness futbol star, CRISTIANO RONALDO, last night at 2:30 A.M. exiting trendy FOXTAIL Nightclub, in West Hollywood. Recovering from surgery, he has been partying every night that he has been here. He and his pompous posse paraded out the back of the hot spot, dressed in CHRISTIAN AUDIGIER gear, ignored fans, and shoved paparazzi. This has been the international ambassadors for soccer’s modus operandi, since arrival.

DAVID BECKHAM, former futbol star, also acts as if he were royalty. He is less than friendly, aloof, and seems to think that he is superior to everyone here, with the exception of friend and mentor, TOM CRUISE. BECKHAM could learn a few things from friend TOM, the first being, don’t act like you are royalty in AMERICA. The second lesson is, treat all your fans like they might be the last one buying a ticket to your next game. Might just be true.

If soccer or futbol, or whatever you call it, wants to be more than a school yard game in the U.S., it’s ambassador’s need to promote the game, not turn off potential fans by acting like pompous royalty in public.

CRISTIANO is supposed to be returning to the Continent, within days. Next trip, maybe he will try to win friends for futbol, not alienate every potential fan he contacts.