Scientists Prove Jabulani Is Crazy
The Jabulani ball.
Criticism of adidas’ World Cup ball, Jabulani, is justified according to scientists.
From Iker Casillas to Robinho to Fabio Capello and former Liverpool striker Craig Johnson even wrote a passionate 12-page letter to Sepp Blatter on how the Adidas ball “could ruin the game as we know it,” rocket scientists are backing the claim.
American space scientists, NASA’s aerodynamics people at the Ames Investigation Centre, managed to get some MLS players to kick a Jabulani around and test results 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 70 kilometres an hour 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 have yet to respond to the new scientifically-based criticisms, and Sepp Blatter and Fifa are already meeting in September to discuss the horrible aftermath left in Jabulani’s zig-zagging wake.
Courtesy of kickoff.com
Don’t Blame The Ball
Algeria’s 1-0 defeat to Slovenia on Sunday was memorable only for Robert Koren’s shot which goalkeeper Farouzi Chaouchi allowed to bounce past him.
There were many times, the first-half in particular, where players were over-hitting the simplest of passes.
Bougherra said that and the goal was due more to the atmospheric conditions – Polokwane is 4,000 feet above sea level – and the much-criticised adidas Jabulani ball than the players.
“It was the football,” said the Rangers centre-back.
“With this ball and that new pitch (the surface at the Peter Mokaba Stadium is part-grass part-artificial turf) the goalkeeper will tell you that the ball goes quickly.
“That goal was horrible for me.”
Of the mis-placed passes the 27-year-old added: “Normally when I am in Glasgow all these balls are good but here it goes quickly.
“You think the ball is just right but with the ball and the pitch it gets away.”
Manufacturers adidas have defended their World Cup ball, insisting altitude is playing a significant part in the way it moves through the air.
England goalkeeper Robert Green’s howler in allowing Clint Dempsey’s strike to squirm through his grip in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with the USA was also blamed on the ball.
However, adidas spokesman Thomas Schaikvan said the Jabulani, which has been extensively tested at Loughborough University, this year’s African Nations Cup, in several top leagues, including Germany’s Bundesliga, as well as being trialled by Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, was not to blame.
“I wouldn’t say I am surprised by the negative reaction; it is customary when there is a new ball that players need to get used to it,” Schaikvan, head of global public relations at adidas, told Press Association Sport.
“What is strange is that people are saying the ball is lighter and that is just not true – there are stringent Fifa technical specifications and our standards are significantly tighter than that.
“We don’t concentrate on making a faster ball, we want to create a more stable ball.
“But playing at altitude is not the same as playing at sea level, that is just plain science.
“The basic science of a spherical object flying through the air is going to result in ‘fluttering’ – this is the way the ball moves through the air.
“There are players who play in leagues with other balls, who have not played in the African Nations Cup and players with other federations who have not practised with this ball and those are the players who take the most amount of time to get used to it.”
Bolt Set To Race Over 300m In May
Usain Bolt, the world 100m and 200m record holder, will move up in distance to 300m at the Golden Spike meeting in Ostrava in the Czech Republic on 27 May.
It will be the first time the Jamaican has competed over the distance.
Bolt, who will making his fourth appearance at the meeting, said: “I have done some 300’s in training so am used to the distance but this will be my first time to race it. If the weather is good I hope to run a fast time.”
Bolt is expected to challenge the world’s best performance of 30.85 seconds set by Michael Johnson 10 years ago at altitude in Pretoria.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you think Bolt can do it?
With thanks to the Guardian.co.uk
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