David Beckham met with politicians in the Florida State Capitol building in Tallahassee today, knowing that he needs their support and financial clout to help finance a stadium in Miami for Beckham’s MLS team.

Beckham met with Florida Governor Rick Scott (see photo below), Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Will Weatherford (see above photo) as well as Florida Senate President Don Gaetz in closed-door meetings in the Florida capital. It’s very doubtful that Beckham will be able to convince the State of Florida in this legislative session to help provide funding for his stadium venture, but the visit is an important step by Beckham to (1) meet the political players in Florida, (2) test the waters to see how receptive the State will be (or not) to receive some funding, and (3) find out if Beckham’s celebrity factor can help “open some doors” in the political corridors where other sports magnates such as the Miami Dolphins’ Stephen Ross have failed in their attempts to procure funding.

It’s also important that Beckham realizes that while Miami is the hotbed of culture, tourism and entertainment, the city of Tallahassee is the polar opposite of Miami in terms of geography and vibe. If Beckham has any hope of getting a stadium built, he’ll need the politicians in “his back pocket” to help finance a deal. Without their support, David Beckham’s dream of having a MLS team in Miami could be dead on arrival.