The World Cup and the Vuvuzela threat

Critics in Europe and the West cannot help but find stupid reasons to criticize South Africa's World Cup. Before the games started it was either that the stadia could not be ready, or scary stories about "violent Johannesburg", or about the millions supposedly shortchanged by the World Cup expense. Then the South Africans put on a great show in world class stadia. No orgy of criminal violence erupted in the streets of Jo'burg or Durban. Just throbbing streets of proud South Africans showing the world the mettle of the Rainbow Nation.

But there had to be something awfully wrong about hosting the world's greatest sporting event in Africa. And so the western media is now awash with complaints from European footballers, and couch potatoes in Chicago or Berlin who cannot hear the TV commentators; and from sports critics about a pestilence called Vuvuzela, which is, you might be surprised, not another incurable African virus on the rampage. No, they are crying about the noise made by fans blowing their plastic horns during the games! I even heard that some of the (of course western) players blame the Vuvuzela for their inability to get sleep in their hotel rooms. A Yahoo.com critic even claims that the (very colorful) Vuvuzela has drained the games of their usual color. Give me a break! Did these folks expect the South African fans to play some Beethoven or Vivaldi string quartet during the game! Or some alcohol-inspired mass-chants!

I won't be surprised if the "menace of the Vuvuzela" will now be reason to never bring the game to Africa again. For who knows what scourge the Africans will bring next time to the football game. In any case, for those calling on FIFA to ban Vuvuzela from the games, I suggest that the proper response for such action would be for the paying soocer fans to stay away from the games with their horns and let the sun-beaten empty seats, and echoes of silence be the background sight and sound for the games. I am sure FIFA, the advertisers and the complaining players will really like that!