Big Ten: Leave your vuvuzela at home

Hallelujah!  None of those $#*#*#*$ vuvuzelas in Ohio Stadium (or in The Big Ten).  Below is Adam Rittenberg of ESPN's article…

 

The dream is dead. A group of Ohio State students, inspired by the World Cup in South Africa, started a campaign to get as many vuvuzelas to The Shoe on Nov. 13 for the Buckeyes' clash with Penn State. They launched a Facebook page that, as of earlier today, had 1,760 people confirming they'd show up along the banks of the Olentangy, vuvuzelas in hand. Another 621 folks are "maybe attending." (If you don't know what a vuvuzela is by now, turn on ESPN's World Cup coverage and get the wax out of your ears. That's a vuvuzela.) Ohio State student Dustin Stinson, who started the page, implores his fellow Buckeyes, writing, "Everyone bring a vuvuzela for the Penn State game and let's bring some noise! We're trying to get as many students as possible to bring them. INVITE AS MANY PEOPLE FROM OHIO STATE TO JOIN AS YOU CAN! Let's do this." Apparently one Buckeyes fan was ahead of the curve, bringing a vuvuzela or some derivative to last year's game against Iowa. But alas, the Big Ten (AKA no fun police) is putting the kibosh on the vuvuzela. From Every Day Should Be Saturday: Per Scott Chipman of the Big Ten Conference via e-mail this a.m.: "The Big Ten has specific policies that do not allow irritants or noisemakers, so vuvuzelas would not be allowed. Below is the specific language from our football game management manual." A. Nonpermissible Items -- The arena management is responsible for enforcing the Big Ten policies in this regard. The following items may not be brought into the arena by patrons: Alcoholic beverages, bottles, cans, cups or containers, irritants (e.g., noisemakers) or strobe lights. In addition, the facility may have additional restrictions on items that can be brought into the arena. I don't know how well vuvuzelas would go over at a college football game, and I'm sure a lot of folks -- and their eardrums -- are pleased to see the Big Ten's response. Personally, I don't mind them, but I'm biased, as half of my family is from South Africa and I've watched soccer games there before. I'll still give Ohio State students credit for the idea, and I bet we'll still see a vuvuzela or two smuggled into The Shoe on Nov. 13.

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