At the dawn of the new millennium, the commercialization of football continued unabated, and even average professional players became muti-millionaires, with many becoming celebrities in their own rights. In addition, players had evolved into incredibly fit athletes and the standard of the game had skyrocketed. Foreign players permeated domestic leagues, especially in England. This has had both a positive and negative effect. Positive in that it has increased the overall standard of the league, negative in that it has led to the exclusion of local talent. Television audiences, however, grew larger and larger and the money pouring in and out of the game seemed to have no limit. The speed at which the game is played increased substantially as well.