Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Host broadcasters to 'filter' noise


From ESPN.com:

Are the vuvuzelas at the World Cup too loud? Some broadcasters think so and want to filter them out. BBC received 545 complaints from viewers as of Tuesday morning, so they are considering giving viewers the option of muting ambient noise while maintaining game commentary through its "red button" digital service. Viewers would push a red button on their remote controls to receive the quieter broadcast on a separate listening channel.

According to Wikepedia.com, the vuvuzela, sometimes called a "lepatata" (its Tswana name) or a stadium horn, is a blowing horn up to approximately 3 ft 3 inch in length. It is commonly blown by fans at football (soccer) matches in South Africa. The vuvuzelas are something uniquely African, and FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) President Sepp Blatter said he is not about to ban the music traditions of fans in their own country.

Several players said the clamor of the horns is having an impact on the field. Netherlands striker Robin van Persie actually got out of a second yellow card -- and a ban from the next game -- by blaming the vuvuzelas for failing to hear an offsides whistle.

Argentina striker Carlos Tevez said the din of vuvuzelas makes it hard for players to communicate with each other on the field. "Those sirens or trumpets -- I don't know what they are -- make it very difficult to speak on the field," Tevez said after Argentina's training session Tuesday at the University of Pretoria. "You have to shout and sometimes you run out of breath, you get a bit more tired. They are extremely bothersome."

But van Persie said he doesn't want to see vuvuzelas banned. "I think we have to respect it, because we are in South Africa, and we need to respect where we are," he said. "This is their tradition. This belongs to them."

So, tell me, what do you think? Sould the vuvuzela be banned at the World Cup games? Why or why not? You can find me on Facebook or Twitter!

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