h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Bend It Like Roberto Carlos - A798555
Author: Caper Plip: A Section Of Ronaldo's Top Incisor - Find the Club at A782057! - U180841

Who wants to sit and do nothing when you can bend a ball like Bertie Carlos?

I am much grateful to Hell for doing the physical magic bit for this Entry!

Any comments?

Caper Plip

I was quite impressed with the physics, until I read that post and realised you hadn't done it.

Generally impressive - it might be worth tweaking the title to show you've included a detailed explanation of the Magnus effect.

There's a bit at the end of that paragraph which talks about 'pushing in' and 'pulling in' - I've read it several times, and it doesn't sound great. Having said this, I can't think of a way to shuffle the words to improve it. Maybe it's just me.

A few notes on your kicking technique. If you are going to strike the ball below the equator, it will acquire considerable lift, unless you add topspin (strictly a Beckham trick, but Carlos taught him it) as well. For this, you need to contact on the *upswing* of the kick, not the nadir, otherwise you'll just keep ballooning it over the bar.

Is it worth including that Carlos did not score another free kick for Brazil after that one until the 2002 World Cup (against China, I think - my word, my memory's going )?

This should be in the Edited Guide before too long, even without all my pithy adjustments.

B

Oh...



Maybe I'll write one called 'Bend it like Waqar Younis'

Smoke It Like Phil Tufnell

Drink It Like Shane Warne

Fly It Like David Gower

B

Nosh it like Mike Gatting

Hi there!

Changes made:

- added the bit on 'up-swing'

Yep, Master B., it was against China:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/photo_galleries/newsid_2033000/2033253.stm

It didn't bend much... it looks more like a straight line with topspin... if the goalkeeper had the misfortune to be in the way, he would have gone back into the net with the ball

I think one of the Chinese players also did a free-kick that bent like Roberto Carlos'... but it didn't go in...

Any more comments?

Caper Plip

Yes: That link was too long, it's ruined all the wrap on this page.

B

Ah well, it's not too bad if you have frames...

Changes made:

- added a few more links
- added some Hoovooloo into the physics section

Any more comments?

Caper Plip

"added some Hoovooloo"

But, erm... "kicking your second serve"? This, from the Keeper of the Tennis Players? I don't know how they play tennis where you come from, but round our way it's traditional to use a ...



H.

Right, where to start...

It's a technical term for the styles of serve that Pat Rafter and Greg Rusedski do. You hit the with the racquet in such a way (at an angle on the left of the ball), so it tends to hit the left end of the service box and bounce off in a completely unorthodox fashion. Hence, it's like eating a spicy meal. It's got a 'kick' in it. Get it?

I have only managed to do this twice, both serving from the left and both unintentionally. Oh well.

Hope that explains it!

Caper Plip

Well, you learn something every day.

Then you die and forget it all.

Seriously, I did not know that. Now, I'm not suggesting that it isn't a piece of completely common knowledge and that I'm not just ignorant of things tennis related, but I think it might be worth either (a) changing it from "kick" to "hit", or "slice" or "serve" or something OR (b) footnoting the word "kick" so that people don't picture some weird Jackie Chan inspired maneuvre involving somersaulting impacts of foot on tennis ball (now THAT I'd pay money to watch...)

H.

- made a link to somewhere in a new footnote saying what a kick serve is

I'd love to see that... but I can't quite imagine Serena Williams doing that... but Lleyton Hewitt on the other hand...

Any more comments?

Caper Plip

no comment





er, well, perhaps still: You could mention that all the top-spin and bottom-spin wizardry is what makes a good table-tennis player!


And another comment: Just why is it that my picks are always due when PR threads are only 5 days old?

Does that mean Carlos is good at table tennis then? Or that Matthew Syed should be taking free kicks for Hartlepool?

Or have I just got the wrong end of the stick again?

B

He might be good at table-tennis... you never know! But he's a dab hand at doing the samba, is Bertie Carlos

Hi,

I skipped over this in PR for days 'cos I thought it was about Uri Geller type spoon bending. I didn't know who Roberto Carlos was. It might need a new title when it goes to the front page, for those of us who've been away from the planet for a while.

And it's quite a way into the entry that soccer is mentioned for the first time. Remember, the audience for guide entries extends way beyond the UK and Europe. Not everyone will know that The World Cup is the soccer world cup.

Even news items on the BBC begin with "Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister" so as to make no assumptions. (She is still your PM, right?)

Awu
P.S. Otherwise the entry is v. good. Nice light tone and informative.

Hi there!

Changes made:

- added 'Football' to the title

Thanks for your comments!

Caper Plip

PS Margaret Thatcher hasn't been our PM since 1992

Great.

I was just joking about Maggie.

Awu.

Well, this entry's certainly right up my street!

My only slight doubt is about the title, which still doesn't quite convey what's in the entry. 'The Physics of Football - Bend It Like Roberto Carlos', perhaps, or is that too long? (I got away with 'Franz Beckenbauer - Three Ways To Win The World Cup'.

Anyway, the Editors can decide on that, because this fine effort is surely heading towards the goal of the Edited Guide!