正当人们猜测，贝克汉姆转会银河能否改变美国足坛现状的时候，另一种有关小贝能否改变美国球员时尚窘境的猜测也纷至沓来。在小贝抵美之前，他的照片已风靡美国各时尚杂志封面，美国时尚界也在翘首以待，希望英格兰球星贝克汉姆能传授美国体坛大腕儿们着装的学问。有评论认为，贝克汉姆的超人气有可能刺激其他球员提升自己的着装品味。

David Beckham waves to fans during the half-time break in a celebration soccer match between Manchester United and an Europe XI to mark the 50th anniversary of Manchester United appearing in European competition at Old Trafford in Manchester, northern England, in this March 13, 2007 file photo. [Reuters]

U.S. soccer might be hoping for a surge in popularity with the arrival of English star David Beckham, but some fashion critics are also hoping he can teach U.S. sports stars a thing or two about clothes. 

"Hopefully it will inspire them to lift their game," said Adam Rapoport, style editor at men's fashion magazine GQ. "I think athletes respond to competition well. If someone's looking better than them they want toget on par withthem."

Beckham, 31, has signed a $250 million five-year deal to moved to the United States later this year and play for the Los Angeles Galaxy soccer team, but even before he has arrived he hasgraced the covers of U.S. fashion magazines.

So is the U.S. sports scene in need of a style icon?

"Desperately. And they're in need of a tailor," said Wendell Brown, senior fashion editor at Esquire magazine. "I hope Beckham has a major impact."

Rapoport agreed, saying there had been a fashion void on the U.S. sports scene since the 2003 retirement of basketball star Michael Jordan, who is now one of the world's wealthiest former athletes with endorsement contracts and business interests.

"I don't think anyone's stepped up to the plate since Jordan retired and I think they could use one. It's going to be interesting to see if Beckham can be that guy," he said.

But Beckham's iconic style status doesn't appear to have U.S. sports stars shaking in their boots.

"It's not going to put pressure on me. I'm not competing with him," Philadelphia Eagles football player Jevon Kearse said with a laugh, while attending the launch of Jared M, a clothing line designed especially for big, tall sports stars.

But he did add that Beckham's popularity could pressure other athletes to lift their fashion game.

Former Los Angeles Lakers basketball player Jim Jackson said that while he believed Beckham would likely have an impact on U.S. sports stars fashion, most National Basketball Association (NBA) players were already "dressing the part."

"They made it mandatory for NBA players to dress up," Jackson said. "I think guys really accepted that and really took it as a challenge to step up their game."

（Agencies） 

Vocabulary:    

get on par with: 处于同等水平

grace the covers of U.S. fashion magazines: 成为美国各时尚杂志封面人物

（英语点津陈蓓编辑）