Cacophony

While watching parts of the United States’ upset of top-ranked Spain in the FIFA Confederations Cup semis, the ESPN announce team discussed the growing concerns of the noise made in the crowds (as you will hear in this YouTube clip below):



The vuvuzelas, one of the various forms of trumpets, bellowing throughout the match seem to have raised the ire of some of the tournament’s broadcasters. As this ESPN Soccernet report (via Reuters) details, the complaints have been heard by the sport’s governing body.

This cacophony, as the complaints seem to describe this noise from the crowd, is a problem as this is considered South Africa’s dress rehearsal for the World Cup it will host next summer. Both the Confederations and the World Cup are being hosted in the African continent for the first time and as FIFA President Sepp Blatter said, the sounds are a bit different than the usual fare in Europe or Asia.

You could say that the vuvuzelas are rather obnoxious or rather pleasing to the ear. Who knows, sooner or later, some enterprising rap producer might try to incorporate the sound in some club track. Yet, no matter what’s your flavor, it’s hard to deny that these trumpets can frustrate the heck out of players on the pitch.

This had me thinking: how can the vuvuzelas be such a nuisance when we are used to cowbells, drunken hecklers, thunder sticks and other objects used to distract visiting teams or get into the spirit of the game? Does the nature of the sport play a role between what’s acceptable and what’s unruly? Most of all, should the vuvuzelas be banned for the world’s biggest party next year?

And how about those Americans?!?!