Golden Balls

No, not a post about David Beckham, but rather the official World Cup ball, which actually looks quite spiffy. Apparently, each of the balls will be customized for each match with the date of the match and the names of the teams. So if you manage to catch a wayward Frank Lampard rocket in the stands, don't throw it back; it will probably be worth a mint on Ebay.

The celeb who unveiled the new ball was Franz Beckenbauer, who made a hilariously catty observation about the host nation's squad:

"Ideally, I would like to see Germany face Brazil in the Final but, in view of recent results, I think the chances of the German team reaching that stage are slim. However, I am confident that Jurgen Klinsmann and his backroom staff will ensure that the lads are in peak condition ahead of the tournament."

Shorter Kaiser: "We may not win scheiße, but I'm sure we'll be able to run around aimlessly." I don't know what "faint praise" is in German, but I suspect it's one very long word.