The Vuvuzela Controversy: Part II - Calls to Ban It!

I find myself shaking my head in utter amazement today. Why? Well the biggest Soccer World Cup 2010 story surrounds the Vuvuzela. Not the game, analysis of performance or the antics of the players. Nope, its about the thousands of fans that are blowing the Vuvuzela in the World cup stadiums and the noise that is generated. A debate has now erupted where some are suggesting that the Vuvuzela should be banned.

At the outset this is an African World Cup! Africa is culturally very different to any other continent that has hosted the World Cup before. It should be expected that Africa will add its unique stamp on the event. Sepp Blatter acknowledges this on his twitter feed,"To answer all your message (regarding) the vuvuzelas. I have always said that Africa has a different rhythm, a different sound."

The Vuvuzela has become part of the Africa soccer culture over the past 15 years or so. Other parts of the world have their own unique noisy traditions ranging from whistles, to rattles to full bands. Certainly soccer is not the only sport with noisy traditions. Watch any cricket match on the Indian sub-continent and the din will amaze you.

According to Wikipedia the vuvuzela (English pronunciation: /vuːvuːˈzeɪlə/), sometimes called a "lepatata" (its Setswana name), is a blowing horn approximately 1m in length made out of coloured plastic. It is commonly blown by fans at football matches in South Africa.[1] The instrument requires some lip and lung strength to blow and emits a loud monotone (B♭3).[2] Vuvuzelas have been controversial.[3] They have been associated with noise-induced permanent hearing loss,[4] cited as a possible safety risk when spectators cannot hear evacuation announcements,[5] and potentially spread colds and flu viruses on a greater scale than coughing or shouting.[6]Commentators have described the sound as "annoying" and compared it with "a stampede of noisy elephants,"[7] and "a giant hive full of very angry bees."

To hear one go to http://www.spitorswallow.co.za/blowme.php

So who is complaining? Some players are complaining that they can't communicate on the pitch. Ronaldo said, "It is difficult for anyone on the pitch to concentrate. A lot of players don't like them." Messi added,"It is impossible to communicate, it's like being deaf." Commentators are complaining that they can't speak without the noise drowning out their commentary. Of course don't exclude the complaints from some English fans.

I would suggest that the Vuvuzela is here to stay judging by the number of visitors buying and blowing them. Apparently 15 000 have been sold in Britain already! The opposite picture shows young Manchester United fans with their Vuvuzela. I agree with Danny Jordaan, organising committee’s chief executive, "This will be the noisiest World Cup ever.”

As an after thought there are two things that concern me about the Vuvuzela. The first is the noise created, measured up to 127 decibels is louder than a passenger jet. Prolonged exposure to noise over 85 decibels could result in temporary tinnitus or worse permanent hearing damage. Reusable earplugs will protect peoples ears. The second is where the spit goes. You might notice that when the Vuvuzela dangled towards the ground after a lot of blowing that a stream of saliva drips from the end. If the Vuvuzela is shaken or waved in the crowd then there is a possibility that the saliva will be distributed onto everyone in close proximity! Ehew!