Vanquishing the Vuvuzelas
Posted June 14, 2010, 8:08 AM ET

The World Cup is here.

After four long years, soccer zealots are in Utopia.

In the meantime, the rest of us are trying to figure out why there's a swarm of bees in our television sets. The annoying sound that is driving everyone nuts is compliments of the vuvuzela.

It's the instrument that every South African blows to either celebrate the game of soccer or if they are under attack by a cheetah, lion or any other man-killer in Johannesburg. If the soccer doesn't get under your skin, the vuvuzela absolutely will.

The noise is so damaging that FIFA officials are discussing the idea of banning the vuvuzelas from the rest of the World Cup. I think they're on to something....can you imagine the TV ratings in America, if our ears didn't bleed in the process? Somehow, putting the game on mute doesn't quite work....it's like watching a sport that seldom produces any offense......oh, wait; my bad, that's soccer.

The captain of the French team even complained about the vuvuzelas and claimed that the locals start blowing the horns at 6am and never stop. They can't even sleep at night because of the racket. I have a suggestion for the French team....just put in a tape of any of your matches and it will put you out before you know it. Just make sure you turn down the sound.

While vuvuzelas are grabbing the headlines, the Americans are grabbing "the gift" left by English goaltender Robert Green. Maybe it was Roberto Duran, the "Hands of Stone", playing goalie for England? Some even suggested the guy looked like Bill Buckner in goal.

Either way, Team USA's only score of the match was enough to send US soccer fans into instant smiles. One even wrote me and said that the tie was actually a win.

This is my problem with the World Cup...and perhaps soccer, in general.

Why do we have ties? You wait four years to play the matches.....what about 5 extra minutes in penalty kicks to determine a winner and a loser? It can't be that complicated for the rest of the world to figure out. Even hockey breaks the tie.

In the meantime, I wait in anticipation.....not necessarily for the next match, but for FIFA to eliminate the vuvuzela.

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The US Open begins this week at one of my favorite places in the world, Pebble Beach and the Monterey Peninsula.

If you've ever made the trip, you know what I'm talking about....if you've never been.....check out the scenes this upcoming Father's Day weekend on a HD TV. Pebble Beach is simply spectacular, and if the wind and waves pick up, so will the golf action as the best players go after the second major of the year.

I had the chance to go to the 1992 US Open at Pebble Beach, and it is still one of the best sporting events that I've witnessed. It was the year that Tom Kite survived the elements and won his only major title.

I remember parking my car on the shore line facing the Pacific Ocean with Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay in my rear view mirror. The waves were crashing up against the rocks onto the hood of my car. I sat in the car for an hour watching the huge waves come rolling in....it was incredible.

Of course the same conditions nearly made Pebble unplayable, but it was a blast watching the best players brave the wind and surf. I just hope we get at least one day like that this week, during the US Open.

I'm sure there will be plenty of eyes on Tiger Woods and replayed highlights of what he did back in 2000, as he dominated the field. Tiger can only wish for such an outcome this week, because it's not going to happen. Unless he can find his driver and a fairway, it could be a long week for the World's #1.

The player that just won this weekend in Memphis, Lee Westwood, is a solid pick. He's a great player that has been knocking on the door in the majors for the past few years. He has to have confidence from the playoff victory in Memphis, plus if the conditions get ugly at Pebble; you know he can play well on a links style track, given his European roots.

The US Open will be a fun watch this Father's Day weekend.

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The Carolina Panthers received some bad news last week, when linebacker Thomas Davis was lost for the season (again) by injuring his same right knee doing a basic back-peddle drill.

I saw the injury while watching highlights on a local station, and you could tell it was more than just a tumble and a stumble. While the Panthers have some added depth at LB, the loss of Davis is tough on two fronts.

You're losing a player that is All-Pro caliber....I'm convinced Davis was headed to the Pro Bowl before the same injury hit him in New Orleans, halfway through the season.

The second reason is that the Panthers are moving their real All-Pro LB, Jon Beason, to the weak side to see if he can make the adjustment.

This is the last thing that Davis and the Panthers needed while participating in the June OTA's.

The injury to Davis will cost him tens of millions of dollars, given his contractual status. If there is a lockout in 2011, Davis will be away from the game for more than two and a half years.....and that's a lifetime, in a NFL career.

I saw John Fox at a fundraiser last week, and we had a brief conversation about the injury. He and the rest of the team were sick over it. As Fox told me, Davis has probably done that exercise 50,000 times in his lifetime, and it is extremely unfortunate, but he'll be back. But the real question surrounds "when" and "for what team?"

I also spoke with Ryan Khalil and new starting QB Matt Moore at the Kings Kitchen event, and both guys told me that the competition and intensity have been outstanding at the OTA's.

The reason?.......With all the new young talent in camp, players are looking to make a difference and stand out. Both Panther players liked the enthusiasm and added immediacy surrounding the camp.

Hopefully, that is a good sign and a good vibe for the 2010 Panthers. They could use some, after the news about Thomas Davis.