Vuvuzela - The Legacy Of The 2010 World Cup?

A decade from now, only the most ardent soccer fans will be able to recall who won the 2010 World Cup - However, everybody will remember the annoying bee-like drone of the Vuvuzela, a sound that has become the source of extreme irritation among fans and players alike.

For those of you who are oblivious to the Vuvuzela (and the World Cup), It is a cheap trumpet-like plastic instrument, whose pitch does not change much - Depending on how hard you blow, it simply goes from just annoying to really annoying.

And, the South African fans definitely know how to blow their trumpets - so much so that the players cannot hear anything on the field, television viewers cannot hear the commentators and as for the fans watching it live? If they are not blowing the Vuvuzela, they are wearing earplugs, which means for most part they have no idea what is going on.

While all this may sound hilarious, the issue has escalated so much, that teams have signed and delivered petitions to the the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) to have the instrument banned.

However, FIFA has been unwilling to do that because the Vuvuzela is a 'South African tradition, with roots deep in local traditional music' - and thefore, too sacred to interfere with!

Besides, advocates of the Vuvuzela maintain that if played correctly, it is a rousing instrument that has a place in an orchestra, just like the flute, violin or cello. The problem is most fans have never really learnt how to play the instrument, which is why it sounds so awful.

So what can a soccer fan do? As the old adage says - If you can't beat them, join them! That definitely seems to be the trend not only in South Africa, but also in the USA, where the dreaded instruments have started to show up at sporting events - Recently, a Yankees fan had to be tossed out of a game because he just could not stop blowing his horn! So watch out - one or more of these annoying instruments maybe coming to a town near you soon!

Sources: southafrica.info, abcnews.go.com