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Lionel Messi's first appearance in a South Florida soccer stadium this season created high drama, and he wasn't even wearing cleats.
Messi's formal introduction as the newest addition to the Inter Miami CF roster attracted a near-capacity crowd for an event that had all the trappings of a championship celebration.
This wasn't the first time an American city rolled out the red carpet for a superstar who was seeking a new experience, big payday, elusive team championship or fulfillment of a personal goal.
Teams that are flush with cash doggedly pursue athletes who they view as integral to winning a championship or generating increased ticket revenue and publicity.
The Messi Effect has already taken hold in America. All remaining games on Inter Miami's schedule have sold out, which speaks to Messi's appeal, considering his new club was in last place in a 15-team conference at the time of his signing.
For lending his skills, popularity and reputation to Inter Miami, the seven-time recipient of the Ballon d'Or, presented to the world's best men's soccer player, will be paid between $50 and $60 million annually during the length of the contract, which runs for less than three full seasons.
To Major League Soccer, Messi's commitment represents the promise of future engagement with marquee names.
"We are overjoyed that the greatest player in the world chose Inter Miami CF and Major League Soccer, and his decision is a testament to the momentum and energy behind our league and our sport in North America," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "We have no doubt that Lionel will show the world that MLS can be a league of choice for the best players in the game."
The trade of the best player in ice hockey prior to the 1988-89 season was transformational for a region, a franchise and the NHL. Wayne Gretzky was a four-time Stanley Cup Champion with Edmonton when he was traded to the Kings.
There was a direct correlation between his arrival in Los Angeles and the sport's rise in popularity in Southern California.
Substantially less impactful was the trade of future Hall of Fame quarterback John Unitas from Baltimore to San Diego in 1973. As a Colt, Unitas played on teams that won two NFL Championships and one Super Bowl.
In his lone season as a Charger and the final campaign of his career, Unitas started only four games and threw seven interceptions in 76 attempts for a team that finished 2-11-1.
The status of legend can easily be tarnished by one or more seasons that should have been spent in retirement.
The Michael Jordan who played for the Washington Wizards was not the Air Jordan who powered the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles.
The Babe Ruth who produced the lowest batting average of his career with the Boston Braves in 1935 was not the same Sultan of Swat who blasted a record 60 homeruns with the Murderers Row Yankees in 1927.
Then there's the ill-advised final season that Franco Harris spent in Seattle.
It's unfair to expect Messi to be the savior of a league that has been struggling for nearly three decades to command the nation's attention.
But if he can inspire some of the world's premier soccer players to compete in MLS, his signing with Inter Miami will have merited all the hoopla.
Jim Caltagirone resides in Altoona. He is a regular contributor to Voice of the Fan.