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SEC Does A Quick Vuvuzela 180

Jun 29, 2010, 9:00 PM UTC

â†µ For a brief, terrifying moment, it looked like the SEC's ongoing battle with Mississippi State's cowbell enthusiasm had cracked open a window in which anyone with a desire to annoy 80,000 people could bring a vuvuzela into an SEC stadium, risking both the sanity of viewers and having his stupid plastic horn shoved down the blower’s esophagus. â†µ

â†µâ†µFortunately for the nation, the backlash about this decision has been severe and the SEC has clarified their stance. Old stance: yes. New stance: we will deport you.â†µ

â†µâ†µâ‡¥â†µâ‡¥“Our policy allows for ‘traditional’ artificial noisemakers to be allowed in stadiums and played during specific times. Other forms of artificial noisemakers are not allowed. I do not believe a vuvuzela is tied traditionally into one of our institutions.” ...â†µâ‡¥
â†µâ‡¥â†µâ‡¥“Vuvuzelas cannot be brought into the game per policy. Cowbells, since it is traditionally tied into one of our schools, can be brought in at that school.”â†µâ‡¥

â†µâ†µâ†µIronically, if that was the standard at the World Cup vuvuzelas would be banned. Their “traditional” use dates back to 2001, when things like the Internet had only existed for 20 years and there were only hundreds of cable channels. Mindlessly blowing a stupid plastic horn is just the extremely annoying African equivalent of thundersticks. (Has anyone noticed the erratic periods where the random insectoid buzz resolves into rhythmic blowing of the things? That’s some Lord of the Flies action there, the sound in hell when Beelzebub wanders by to check on the local torturers. Who knows what horrible noises they could make if their run in the spotlight doesn’t end on July 11th?)â†µ

â†µâ†µWith the SEC’s turnaround and FIFA president Sepp Blatter actually acknowledging that maybe FIFA should look into not completely botching four or five goals a World Cup, it’s been a good couple of days for institutional U-turns based on public outcry. â†µ

â†µâ†µ(HT: SBNation.)â†µ

â†µ

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.

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