WCP #10: Vuvuzela... A Defense

Last summer during the Confederations Cup there was a lot of talk banning the Vuvuzela. People were upset by the noise & the networks showing the games claimed they interfered w/ the watchability of the matches. I assumed that once the television networks got involved they would be banned tout suite. And I was totally down w/ it. The swarm of bees sound is more than a little annoying, & it's making the singing/chanting usually associated w/ le foot impossible. Over the last few weeks, major news organizations have started beating the old drum to ban them too. Mike Celizic @ NBC has pointed out that they are dangerous. A good reason to ban automatic weapons, unfortunately, I need a little more than that when it comes to a horn. besides, where was NBC after the Hillsborough disaster? Where were they during the Munich air disaster? People have been murdered because of this game. countries have actually gone to war after soccer matches. And it is about this that people are getting all worked up? The Wall Street Journal got a few words in on Sunday too. Again w/ the health risk. As if people singing/shouting/chanting in their neighbors ears is any better.

What's really going on here is that these journalists are using the supposed health risks as a smoke screen to hide their real problems w/ the Vuvuzela. Namely, they want soccer to follow the European/S.American traditions. Celizic even went so far as to suggest that "Tradition is never a good excuse to do anything." Absolutely right. However, hiding behind this claim in order to support the cultural superiority of Europe & South America is an even more problematic tradition. He, & people like him, don't want to do away w/ noise @ the matches, they want to do away w/ non-Eurocentric noise. Sing your songs about blood, murder, rape & religious intolerance, but don't blow a fucking horn.

FIFA president, Sepp Blatter has recently come out in support of the Vuvuzela & he is absolutely correct. FIFA, & the world media, has been claiming that the World Cup will showcase African culture, yet all these groups want to ban anything associated w/ the culture that is different than what we have come to expect. The Vuvuzel goes back to the 1970s (a relatively new cultural tradition), but it's a huge tradition none-the-less. Blatter knows that this is an important part of the World Cup (maybe more important than the outcome). If the World Cup is to be this cultural exchange as it's always been billed, we need to accept the culture that is being exchanged. Otherwise, we're just being racist & zenophobic. And that's a European tradition worth dumping.
And now, your Visions of Ypsi Player of the Day. Since this is post #10, I was hoping for a good traditional #10 to have a big game yesterday. Ronaldo had a great long shot. Robinio did a little show-boating (that came to nothing). Hamsek played well but didn't really stand out. Kaka repeated his recent form for Real Madrid... he had a shite game. He was lost & cold... & went to ground much too easily (Robinio did that too). Since this was the case, I had to rethink the direction of today's award. It certainly doesn't go to the Korean left back. He was beaten over & over & over again. So w/o further ado, I give you your Visions of Ypsi Player of the Day: Brazilian right back, Maicon. Hey maicon, how do ou feel about the result yesterday? "Comme Ci, Comme Ça"