'Keeper Trashes World Cup Ball

Here's guessing that Julio Cesar does not have a commercial tie with the Adidas brand.

Brazil's elite goalkeeper (and how often have those words been written in the history of soccer?) hates the new ball to be used at South Africa 2010, by Fifa fiat.

How much he not like it?

Well, he said it looks like something "from a grocery store." He also called the ball "horrible" and "terrible." And suggested it was created to make life hard for those poor hard-working men in the nets, the goalkeepers.

Hmm.

Normally, almost nothing a Brazilian goalkeeper might say could be disregarded because Brazil's goalkeepers generally were second-rate and nondescript.

Julio Cesar, however, is different: He just backstopped Inter Milan to the Champions League championship. So he has some credibility.

If you would like to see a semi-scholarly (and Adidas-friendly) review of the ball, check here.

Apparently, the hope at Adidas was to create a ball that was ... oh, perfect. "True" in flight, with a higher ratio of kicking surface because of fewer seams ...

Here is a mugshot of the ball. On amazon.com which, of course, is attempting to sell you one.

And $122 ... on sale?!? No thanks.

I believe I would be quite happy with a soccer ball from, say ... the grocery store Julio Cesar shops at.

Anyway, look for more complaints about the new ball. Athletes never like new equipment. Particularly when they think it makes their jobs more difficult.