While I dont watch soccer at all I have played my entire life from when I began to walk until now... I heard they were having problems with the ball in the world cup.... addidas even said the ball was specially engineered and tested..... are they to blame?

below is the link to the video but i posted the story


http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/wor...urn=sow,254182

"Appalling."
"The guy who designed this ball never played football."
"The worst ball that I have seen in my life."
So says everyone from Iker Casillas to Robinho to Fabio Capello. Former Liverpool striker Craig Johnson even wrote a passionate 12-page letter to Sepp Blatter, president of FIFA, on how the Adidas ball "could ruin the game as we know it." Trashing the Jabulani has become something of a sport in its own right, with wildly mi**** shots celebrated with resounding cries of "Jabulani!" in pubs and living rooms around the globe.
Now it turns out there is a very real scientific basis for all the moaning. NASA's aerodynamics people at the Ames Investigation Centre managed to get some MLS players to kick a very dusty Jabulani around to what sounds like a soundtrack from a 1970s instructional video. The tests confirm what everyone has been saying: Jabulani's scanty 440-gram weight, coupled with the high-altitude conditions in South Africa, means when at speeds of 44 mph or more the ball becomes susceptible to something called the "knuckle effect." That's aerodynamic shorthand for "it swerves all around like crazy at high speeds because of the air flow on the seams and stuff," which isn't so bad when you get goals like this.
Adidas has yet to respond to the new scientifically based criticisms, and Sepp Blatter and FIFA are meeting in September to discuss the horrible aftermath left in Jabulani's zig-zagging wake. What's really frightening though is that we now know World Cup footballers are apparently as adept at noting erratic aerodynamic patterns as NASA's rocket scientists. Be afraid.

 

"The guy who designed this ball never played football."

It is Soccer :P

and I would blame the designer personally.

 

funny thing is u would think this ball woulda been field tested first ya know

so addidas would had complaints b4 hand... and just ignored them (while that would be wrong... if your having a 1,000,000 of these ball produced im sure its cheaper to ignore rather than stop production and redesign)

 

At least everyone is playing with the same ball and no one has an advantage

 

FIFA has to have a set of parameters that a ball must meet to qualify for use in competition - size, weight, etc.

Does it meet the qualifications?

Then kwitcherbitchin'.

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I'd say a bigger problem is the players themselves drawing imaginary fouls. I might start feeling sorry for you when you stop throwing yourself on the ground and pretending another player hit you. Shameless.

 

co-signed.

 

It looked good in the wind tunnel where it was designed, but the ball was stationary. Real world when the ball is in the air it spins which is where all the problems are. I say just got back to the original sheeps stomach filled with air tell peta where to stick it, and have at it.

 

At least a wacky ball that flies in all different directions might make it somewhat fun to watch. I think they should make the ball lopsided, so nobody has a clue where it's gonna go! lol...
But honestly, soccer is boring to me. over 50% of games end in ties?? Wtf? And you can't even use your hands!!!!???

I defy you to tell me one fun thing to do (or watch) that doesn't involve your hands.

Edit: Oh yeah... on the accountability of addidas thing...
Hell yeah you should blame them. If they made a crappy ball, then they need to fess up and deal with it. Especially since the only reason they make a cool new ball like that every few years is to sell 84 billion trillion of the dam things.
The only problem, however, is that every team owner, player, coach, a-hole fan, etc is gonna blame the ball for their team sucking. And that's gonna annoy me.
Hell, people will probably be suing addidas because their kids kicked the Jabulani through their neighbor's bay window. After all, it's not the kids fault, the dam ball doesn't fly straight.

 

I'm right in the middle of all this, .......................
This isn't the first time there have been complaints about the ball being used in an international competition - every time there's a new design, somebody moans.
BUT GENERALLY IT'S THE GUYS WHO HAVE LOST THAT ARE COMPLAINING, NOT THE WINNERS.
The legendary Pele' could curve an old panneled ball like a banana - look back at the late 60's and watch what he could do to that old heavy, out-of-round lump of lead.
The new ball is lighter, sure - does it swerve - sure it does - any ball hit offcentre will curve, anyone knows that. A ball given a good whack - straight- will fly straight - there have been many examples of shots from well over 20 yards that rocketed into the nets, no swerve, no wobble, nothing. Just kick the thing properly and it goes where you send it.
At least no-one can blame South Africa for the ball - FIFA will have to deal with it.
For me, I've just enjoyed the spectacle in my back yard

And there is one other game you can play without your hands, but you need a lady to play too.....................

Oh and JABULANI is a ZULU word - what does it mean ? - HAPPINESS !

Was it tested - damn right it was ......................read this http://www.soccerballworld.com/Jabulani_2010.htm

 

zig zagging ball? hell yes