Sunday, June 20, 2010

Weasels of the Week: Florida Marlins promotions department

I've heard of jumping on the bandwagon of popular trends, but the vuvezelas, the air horns that have become a sensation at the World Cup, are anything but popular with critics.

So, on Saturday, the Florida Marlins decided to give away these horns to fans attending the game against state rival Tampa Bay. Earlier, I was watching a World Cup match with my brother, who was visiting for the day, and then I heard the sound of those horns for the first time. For the uninitiated, the vuvezelas create a sound akin to a hive of bees. It can be annoying, like the bees themselves, and for Florida outfielder Cody Ross, it can also create a headache. Marlins slugger Dan Uggla and the umpires muted the sound by wearing ear plugs.

Didn't it occur to the promotions department that no one actually likes the vuvezelas? They're a distraction that baseball doesn't need. Then again, if those things fall into the hands of Phillies fans......!

Conversely, as Yahoo! Sports reports, two Rays fans were prohibited from bringing cowbells into Sun Life Stadium. Cowbells aren't quite as annoying, and they're a baseball tradition dating all the way back to the Golden Age with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In hindsight, maybe karma had something to do with the final result, as Tampa beat Florida in extra innings.

Maybe next time, the Marlins can give away something less annoying, like Billy the Marlin action figures........

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