A rather sophisticated group of players
 

Dear Soccer Ball Lovers,

Funny though but isn't that what we really are - people who love soccer balls?  Which brings me back to Newsletter no. 7 - 'Football or Soccer?'  I forgot to mention that if the Americans had called the sport 'soccerball' as they do with their other national pastimes i.e. football, basketball, and baseball instead of simply 'soccer' than I think that the sport would have had a better chance of establishing itself in the States as a mainstream entity.  Instead, by calling it 'soccer', the sport ended up being destined to always living on the edge as a marginalized sport much like tennis, golf & hockey and all of the other 'B' sports in America.  So I am thinking of creating a 4-v-4 national tournament in the USA like AND1 called SoccerBall which travels around the USA copying the same set-up.  Anyway, that is something else to talk about another day.  What I really wanted to talk about today is the importance of a good quality soccer ball rather than the usual oddballs that keep popping up in the JIFL.  We are a rather sophisticated group of players in our league despite somebody mentioning that it is a 'Pub League' recently in a web blog and which I am going to take issue with and will be discussing at a later date in an upcoming issue in more detail.  Which reminds me that I have yet another correction to set right in regards to the last issue.  Our beloved Bernhard Schumm has sent from the United Arab Emirates, where he serves as national team's Technical Director, yet another correction to my last Newsletter no. 9 - 'A most watchable brand of football'.  It was actually the English philosopher Francis Bacon who is quoted as stating that 'Knowledge is Power'  (in Latin, 'sciencia potentia est') but, even so, Aristotle knew that already nearly 2,400 years ago.

But despite our education, experience, and sophistication, it is perplexing to me how we seem to have no idea what standards should be acceptable when it comes to the proper tools to be used for actual league play itself.  At the moment, I know of only one team in this league who have a specific demand for a minimum quality of ball to be played with at any time.  Only the Wanderers demand to play with the highest quality matchball game in and game out and that seems to be because two members of that fine club enforce that standard every time that they come out.  I have seen it with my own eyes and experienced it myself.  And I can give several examples of teams showing up with joke footballs over the years.  Meanwhile, here is a quick team by team critique of our beloved league and ball choices each:

BuGils:  They always show up with about 6 balls in a bag and not one of them with a value over $4 US dollars.  Terrible things to even warm-up with and absolutely no reason to play a game with such horrible things.  I get depressed just thinking about it.

JIS:  They have a set of these huge (size 6) Brine footballs that are bursting at the seams and which they keep throwing out every game thinking that they are okay for match play (and then bitch if you don't want to use them).  Last time they played against the Wanderers they even tried to start the match with one that had a rip in the seam and the bladder was sticking out.  Shocking!

Arario Korea:  They have a group of yellow floaters that look like soccer balls.  But they aren't.  They just look like soccer balls.

German Plus:  They should be using the best in the world being Germans and all but somebody over there also lacks standards.  Usually, they have some imitations of the $12.95 per ball quality.  Disappointing indeed.  German Plus should be using the highest quality Adidas footballs available in the world.  The club is over 40 years old and wear the highest quality kits imported from Deutschland as well as being superbly managed by Howie Peter Hinsch but it seems clueless as well when it comes to soccer ball quality and what is acceptable to the nation of Germany.

Vikings:  Every time that you see them they have a bag of various shapes, colors and sizes.  Sometimes they show up with none and have to ask the other team to borrow one for a warm-up.  Clowns!

Lions:  They keep buying some crappy balls (usually of the silver and gray plastic variety) and pretending that they are actual soccer balls.  But, in reality, they just sting your foot when you strike it and god forbid that one of those hits you in the face during the warm-up.  Perma-imprint tatoo for the rest of your life.

Do It:  They always have a set of the better quality fakes on hand but again the standards are not up to what the quality of players in the JIFL should ever accept.  They might look like Champion's League balls but in fact they too have been taken in by the replicas.  For having so many decent and well experienced players in the side, and being the league leaders, one should expect more from this lot.

One Tree Grasshoppers:  We can't say anything yet about this fine club as they are too new to be criticized.  But the former club, D's Place, usually behaved in exactly the same way that 90 percent of the rest of the league behaved - fake balls of various shapes, sizes, and quality which was no way to get properly focused for a good match of football.

Team Japan:  They have decent balls from the J-League and from the Japan Football League so no problem with them.  Good lads when it comes to soccer ball choice.

Wanderers:  Wanderers always have at least one world class soccer ball on hand.   Only Manny Rawthore and Your Hero seem to care about this most crucial and important tool of the trade.  Thank goodness for people with standards.  It is guys like that those two fellahs who keep the world from falling into complete anarchy and chaos.
 

over the world that every professional player who ever grew up with those beautifully designed & engineered spheres still agrees that that was the ultimate football of all time.  Nothing has ever come close to that perfection.  It is the same with the most perfectly designed boot of all time the Copa Mundials.  They were first introduced in 1982 and are still the first choice boot for nearly every professional player (although, in reality, they will wear every other boot but that one because they are sponsored to do so).   I guess that one could argue that 1982 would be the year that football technology peaked at its zenith.  The perfect ball met the perfect shoe.  And it was love at first site.  

Just for the readers information, a proper football set by FIFA standards as written in the Laws of the Game for a Size 5 ball should be between 27-28 inches (68-70 centimeters) in circumference and 14-16 ouches (410-450 grams) in weight.  They do allow a variation of 2 ouches and 2 centimeters more or less which can make a difference in the speed and velocity that the ball travels and, which in turn, can make a huge difference in the outcome of a game depending on your skill level.  Don't pay any attention to the label that is stamped onto every ball that you will ever see which says 'FIFA Approved'.  Those stamps are meaningless as we should all know by now living in Asia with the lack of copyright protection and enforcement in this half of the world.  What is most important is the actual quality of the material that the ball is made.  And equally as important as ball quality is the air pressure.  Every team should have a ball pump on hand as well.  Proper air pressure is tantamount to good and accurate shooting and passing.

Life is short and our ability to play football is even shorter.  I suggest that you use the best equipment available.  You will be happy you did so.  Your game will improve by 50% just by using a proper good quality soccer ball.  Don't settle for anything less. Your personal enjoyment and memories are at stake.  Thank you for reading today.  All the Best....

-Your Hero

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JIFL Reports

German Plus goal scorer: Emir Szafa
Bugils goal scorer: Patrick
German Plus MOM: Marcel Mueller-Heywes
Bugils MOM: Shane
Yellow cards: Bugils 1???
Referee team: 6-10

Both teams had a complete squad available, Bugils even had 9 substitutes at the side line. Bugils had more ball possession in the first half and quite a few shots towards the German goal. German Plus not so many shots, but when in front of goal, they were dangerous. Towards the end of the first half the sky started to become darker and darker. Break, 0-0. Shortly after the break Bugils received a yellow card and shortly thenafter the sky opened all doors and a strong rainstorm combined with thunder and lightning poured down. Within 10 minutes or so playing soccer was definately not possible any longer, but the teams battled on.

After a mistake of the German defence, actually you cannot really call it a mistake under these conditions, Bugils took the lead. The waterball continued and 10 minutes later after somehow carrying the ball across the field, German Plus equalized. 15 minutes from time the referee then finally aborted the match and the all in all fair result stands.
- Howie - German Plus

One Tree goals: Joel 3, Marc Giovanola 1, Hugo 1, Nico No 1, Paty 1
One Tree MOM: Simon
Arario MOM: # 26
Referee: 4/10  He should have stopped the violence earlier

Just like old days, nice football exhibition, great passing, lethal attack and a recovered defense. Temporary draw at the beginning of the game was due to a misfortune from Yahya, but One Tree recovered promptly in spite of missing some of its key players. Great game from Joel (3 goals) and the youngsters. The game had some hot moments but one special moment deserves special attention: Arario should take into serious consideration having one of its players (#40) banned for a couple of games if not the whole season. Threatening opponents with the Corner kick pennant (stick) is both dangerous and irrational.  Things like that MUST not be seen in JIFL. One Tree genuinely accepts Arario's apologies after the game but for the good of the game we believe and internal sanction within the team is appropriate.
- Guillermo - One Tree
 

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JIFL Fantasy Football League by Ray

I know, I know it’s a little bit late coming out this month but your gonna have to forgive me for that. The fact is, I had to move house at the end of October, so that kinda took priority, plus I had to wait for Fastnet to come and set up in the new abode.

Well! That’s about it this time round, we’ll take another butchers about this time in December to see if Fredensvang is still holding on to the top spot.