SOCCER:The arrival of an ageing midfielder at a struggling team currently second-bottom of the MLS (Major League Soccer) western division should not have needed a club official to insist it was "meant to be low-key".
David Beckham's first day in his new job as footballer, one-man-brand and international ambassador for LA Galaxy was, however, anything but.
From the moment the former England captain and his wife, Victoria, swept through Los Angeles airport in a blur of black-clad security staff, a frenzy of fascination surrounded them.
Some were already converted. Two fans wore the new Beckham number 23 shirt. A policeman snapped away on a camera phone. Others were simply drawn to the shouts of the paparazzi.
"Who's David Beckham?" asked Austin Baker, age 11.
If LA Galaxy's 190-million gamble pays off, the children of California will not be asking that question for much longer. Buoyed by his England recall and winning the league with Real Madrid, Beckham is now charged with lifting LA Galaxy up the league before persuading America to love what they call soccer.
"Soccer could be as big in the United States as it is everywhere else in the world," Beckham declared at a ceremony to introduce him to his fans and the wider public.
He acknowledged he was moving on from more than 10 years at two of the world's biggest clubs but added this transfer was "the biggest challenge I've taken in my career".
An hour before he arrived, fans chanted "David Beckham" and held up banners: "Bend it like Goldenballs."
Along with 2,000 of Galaxy's 11,000 season-ticket holders, 700 journalists poured in to see Beckham.
Standing on a specially assembled stage in the corner of the pitch, he was flanked by his new bosses: first-team coach Frank Yallop (once a journeyman player for Ipswich Town); club general manager Alexi Lalas; Major League Soccer's commissioner, Dan Garber; and Tim Leiweke, chief executive of club owners, AEG, who are bankrolling the 32-year-old's 4.5-million basic annual salary and five-year deal worth up to €42 million.
It has been impossible to miss Beckham's arrival. His image stares down from billboards throughout the city; he has graced the front cover of Sports Illustrated - the first Briton to do so since Ian Woosnam in 1991 - and the MLS has broadcast a 30-second TV advertisement on a cable sports network.
The Galaxy have set aside a new VIP lounge for celebrity fans - Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are regular Beckham-watchers these days - and built an auxiliary press box and relaunched their logo and strip for Beckham's arrival.
An estimated 250,000 60 shirts bearing his number 23 have reportedly been sold.
To soothe any noses out of joint among Beckham's team-mates - some on as little as €15,000 a year - Galaxy players are to be invited to a barbecue at the Beckhams' €16.5-million villa in Beverly Hills .
"When I told the kids I was coming to Los Angeles they thought we were moving to go and live in Disneyland," Beckham said in a television interview on his arrival.
"It will take some time getting used to it all for them, but I think it's a great place for all my family to live and for the kids to go to school."
Beckham's first match is a friendly against Chelsea on July 21st; his MLS debut will be on July 31st.
Will he win over America?
It would be unwise to bet against anything in the Beckham story, and bookmakers are busy shouting the odds on a range of twists in the tale, from Beckham starring in a film with Cruise (14 to 1 with Ladbrokes) to his conversion to Scientology (10 to 1).
Winning the MLS title during his five-year contract? A mere 1 to 2.
