This is all so ironic, Alanis Morrisette really should be singing about it.
Seems that vuvuzelas may soon be banned from the very place that made these seemingly benign plastic pieces so famous – or infamous, depending on how you look at the controversial noise makers.
But that’s not really the ironic part. Not the most delicious slice of irony pie, at least.
The vuvuzelas have long been part of the sport – just not globally renowned. Even here in little ol’ U.S.A., the joyful tooted on vuvuzelas in and around the 1994 World Cup. And the goofy, highly distinct sound echoed around the grounds in MLS early years – before a bunch of killjoys had them banned in most places. You know, back in the days when “family friendly” was de rigueur in MLS marketing circles.
(This was always the subject of major tension between myself and soccer-loving pals. I always said they added to atmosphere around MLS grounds back in those infant years, or what I like to call “The Carlos Valderrama days.” My friends always countered: “That’s because you’re in the press box, Davis, not out here with some kid blowing that thing in your ear!” They probably had a point.)
At any rate, the “vuvuzela” became a bigger player in the game’s global lexicon in 2010, when they became so much of the story of World Cup 2010.
Now, turns out that South Africa’s league may ban vuvuzelas, but not for their ornery ability cause a ruckus. Rather, they may get the red card due to potential use as weapons! How about that for a zig when you expected a zag!
While officials in that country’s Premier Soccer League have not banned the, uh, humming instruments of potential death, it is among a list of items being considered for addition to the banned list.
What PSL general manager Derek Blanckensee had to say about it, from the Reuters story linked above: “Our rules ban all dangerous weapons from matches. If the vuvuzela is to become a dangerous weapon then we will look into this.”
