From goal.com:
Ronaldinho Defies Laws Of Physics For Nike?
11/17/2005 4:12:00 PM
Ronaldinho Gaúcho swears that it’s true, but skeptics – including former World Player Zinedine Zidane – simply don’t believe that the world-beating Barça star actually performed the footballing feat that is featured on the Nike site (
www.nikefootball.nike.com) with the subtitle ‘Brazilian Ping-Pong.’
The clip, available for download in either a whopping 35 megabyte high quality file or a slimmed down low-fi version at the multinational’s site – shows Dinho training at Camp Nou’s little brother; the ‘Mini-Estadi’ used for Barcelona B games at the Pedralbes campus. Here’s a walkthrough for those not able to download the video.
Viewers see the Gaúcho resting by the sideline and wearing a standard pair of black Nike football boots complete with trademark tick. A man wearing a grey Nike T-shirt approaches with a gold attaché case, which he opens to reveal a pair of white boots complete with gold tick, tongue and details on the sole.
Ronaldinho swaps boots and stands up in his day-glo training Barça top (by Nike), whipping a nearby Nike ball (oh, the subtlety of ad execs) into the air and keeping it up with a series of taps as he moves towards the front of the box.
Once in position he unleashes a shot that arches towards the goal and ricochets back off the centre of the crossbar to him for a neat bit of chest control before he rockets a second effort goalwards. This twangs the bar, returning without hitting the ground for an encore that Dinho controls once more before his final shot finds the exact same spot, coming back for a header that calms the ball and ends up with a bit of head control.
He then heads back to the man-with-the-briefcase for a hand-clasp and shoulder embrace as several unidentified youngsters have a kickaround in the background, all but one hardly bothering to stop and look at the incredible display that has just unfolded before their eyes.
“The commercial’s done. You’re all just doubting my abilities” said a straight-faced Dinho to unbelieving reporters who’d asked him to come clean and admit it was nothing more than a marketing set-up.
“It wasn’t even supposed to become a commercial” continued Dinho, referring to the (deliberate?) hand-held amateurish style of the clip. “It was supposed to be something for people to enjoy on the internet, but it ended up spreading by word of mouth and I must say I’m proud of it”
Amidst loud cackles and giggles of the assembled Brazilian and Spanish reporters, Ronaldinho stuck to his guns. “But it’s true!” he insisted to yet more skeptical guffaws, “It wasn’t a set-up: I usually do that [play ‘ping pong’ off the crossbar] at some time during training, and all I did was the same thing as usual”.
In search of a second opinion, reporters interviewed Zinedine Zidane, who cracked a smile and categorically denied that the video could be real, “It’s impossible” said ‘Zizou’.
Even Ronaldinho’s fellow countryman and clubmate Belletti doubted the veracity of the clip: “None of us were there to see it, and I’ll only believe it when I see it with my own two eyes,” he said with a grin.
Brazilian spoof show ‘Pânico na TV’ (Panic on the telly; already nationally famous for their irreverent version of Robinho) went to Copa do Brasil winning club Paulista de Jundiaí to see if any pro could recreate the feat: all failed.
They then recreated the scene with a – politically incorrect – dwarf (or better said; person of low stature) dressed up as Ronaldinho and performing the same stunt with the screamingly obvious use of CGI (the sort of computer technology that make Yoda less like a pickled onion in the last ‘Star Wars’.
So now it’s up to you. Is the video real or simply a clever advertising trick designed to conjure up belief in something that is presented as real, but really is nothing more than a way of selling a product. Blair Witch, anyone, or are you a believer?
