MartyBall4Buffalo Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2006/09/26/ra...a_little_noise/ RAND: What's wrong with a little noise?Sep 26, 2006, 2:51:40 AM by Jonathan Rand - FAQ The situation keeps getting worse and worse for the Chiefs. First, they get off to an 0-2 start, and now the new commissioner may want to reduce the influence of crowd noise. Arrowhead Stadium traditionally has been among the NFL’s loudest open-air stadiums. Visiting players often describe it as the most difficult place to play. The Chiefs’ 65-15 regular-season home record during the 1990s was tops in the league and the Chiefs became the first team penalized for excessive crowd noise after the NFL adopted the rule in 1989. This penalty is called once in a blue moon. A really loud crowd, as we all know, can make it difficult for offensive players to hear their quarterback, often resulting in offensive penalties and an edge for the home team’s pass rush. The New York Times ran a front-page story Sunday on the issue because the Giants were returning to Seattle’s Qwest Field, where crowd noise in the partially roofed stadium contributed to 11 false-start penalties for the Giants in their 24-21 loss in overtime last year. Seahawks Coach Mike Holmgren awarded the game ball to the fans. The Giants’ performance is yet another good example why coaches discourage players from worrying about such peripheral issues as crowd noise instead of the opponent. The Seahawks were ahead 35-0 before the visitors knew what hit them. The final count was 42-30 and it’s hard to blame a blowout on crowd noise. Still, the issue’s not about to go away. Commissioner Roger Goodell is discussing the use of microphones in quarterbacks’ helmets and speakers for his teammates so they can hear snap counts, play calls and audibles. Quarterbacks currently have devices that allow them to hear their coaches but only until 15 seconds remain on the play clock. Goodell recently suggested that noise should encourage the defense, but not disrupt the offense or prevent it from executing its game plan. “To some extent right now,” he said, “I think we are hindering that a little bit, because they come into an opposing stadium and they are not able to put the full offense in, they are not able to run plays in, they are not able to change the plays at the line of scrimmage.” Funny, but crowd noise didn’t seem to bother the Bengals when they beat the Chiefs opening day 23-10. Nor did it bother them Sunday in Pittsburgh, where they beat the Steelers 28-20 for their eighth victory in their last 10 road games. Despite the Arrowhead crowd, the Chiefs managed just one sack against the Bengals. As the visitors gained control, there was less and less noise…and fewer and fewer fans. The league shouldn’t try to reduce the impact of crowd noise. A team with loud and enthusiastic fans deserves as much of a home field advantage as it can get. And a team like the Bengals should be rewarded for its ability to handle hostile stadiums. That ability wouldn’t mean as much if road conditions were made easier for everybody. Besides, have you ever noticed that crowd noise becomes an issue mainly in stadiums that house winning teams? Crowd noise has no more to do with a team’s success than a team’s success has to do with producing crowd noise. NFL offenses use silent counts in noisy stadiums. The best antidote for noisy crowds, of course, is to get ahead of the home team. No matter how rabid fans are reputed to be, it’s amazing how quiet they get after 15 minutes of disappointment. Often, they start booing. The Chiefs might want to think about getting some points early against the 49ers on Sunday if they don’t want to experience that first hand. Isn't the whole point of homefield advantage to well have an advantage any chance to the current system would be a travesty. If it's not broke don't fix it. Giving any kind of audio advantage to an away team would be a huge step in the wrong direction for the nfl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 Well, if they're going to start by regulating crowd noise as a home field advantage, then what's next? Requiring all teams to have a retractable-roof dome so teams from different climates don't struggle in weather they are unaccustomed to? Or maybe making all the games neutral-site games, where neither team has an overwhelming majority of its fans there to disrupt the game. Maybe we'll start small - let's make all the playoff games be played at neutral sites - after all, we wouldn't want bad weather or noisy fans to affect the outcome... At this rate, someday the only difference between the home & visiting teams will be the choice of uniforms and who calls the coin toss... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoondckCL Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/2006/09/26/ra...a_little_noise/Isn't the whole point of homefield advantage to well have an advantage any chance to the current system would be a travesty. If it's not broke don't fix it. Giving any kind of audio advantage to an away team would be a huge step in the wrong direction for the nfl 787781[/snapback] Agreed. More pussification of the NFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patience Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 Goodell is not starting his tenure off very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 Ridiculous. Stop !@#$ing around with things that aren't broken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shamrock Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 Well, if they're going to start by regulating crowd noise as a home field advantage, then what's next? Requiring all teams to have a retractable-roof dome so teams from different climates don't struggle in weather they are unaccustomed to? Or maybe making all the games neutral-site games, where neither team has an overwhelming majority of its fans there to disrupt the game. Maybe we'll start small - let's make all the playoff games be played at neutral sites - after all, we wouldn't want bad weather or noisy fans to affect the outcome... At this rate, someday the only difference between the home & visiting teams will be the choice of uniforms and who calls the coin toss... 787811[/snapback] Do away with colours and the like as well. For example, in the Olympics competitors wearing red have won more matches than those in blue for sports such as boxing. Both teams can chose between shades of greys. Also do away with mascots. A bengal is more ferocious than say a dolphin wearing an helmet. That's an unfair advantage... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gross Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 It's been a few years since I've been to a game, and it was weird seeing the "mute" scoreboard encouraging us to cheer on the defense. I'm thinking "where are all the sound bites?" Then I remembered... I say the microphone/headphone idea should go into effect only if they are able to put the frequency up on the scoreboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibs Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 From the sounds of the article I am wrong but.....I could have sworn there was an actual rule already in existence which basically said that if the home crowd overly effects the game(including by noise) then it's a 5 yard penalty to the visiting team....repeat down. Obviously this rule(assuming I'm correct & it exists) is never enforced. Does anyone know if my recollection has any basis in reality or whether I dreamed it a decade ago & thought it was real? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justnzane Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 From the sounds of the article I am wrong but.....I could have sworn there was an actual rule already in existence which basically said that if the home crowd overly effects the game(including by noise) then it's a 5 yard penalty to the visiting team....repeat down.Obviously this rule(assuming I'm correct & it exists) is never enforced. Does anyone know if my recollection has any basis in reality or whether I dreamed it a decade ago & thought it was real? 787847[/snapback] penalty goes to the home team. If the fans are excessively rowdy the NFL has a clause where they can move the game to an alternate site (most likely the other teams home field). This has been threatened on Philly fans more for throwing objects on the field but not for noise. The whole notion of penalizing a team for their fans making noise is total nonsense. That is like penalizing the home team for the streaker running through the field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibs Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 The whole notion of penalizing a team for their fans making noise is total nonsense. That is like penalizing the home team for the streaker running through the field. 787852[/snapback] I know....that's why when I heard it was the case it stuck in my mind...."how stupid" I thought. It was probably just some stupid comentator getting it wrong & me(new to the sport at the time probably) taking it in as fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justnzane Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 I know....that's why when I heard it was the case it stuck in my mind...."how stupid" I thought. It was probably just some stupid comentator getting it wrong & me(new to the sport at the time probably) taking it in as fact. 787856[/snapback] This is the No Fun League. And Goodell might be trying to make a legacy or an ass of himself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 Or maybe making all the games neutral-site games, where neither team has an overwhelming majority of its fans there to disrupt the game. 787811[/snapback] How will they regulate the fans? It's easy enough to make sure each team has an even number, but what about level of excitement? Does every fan coming in have to sign an agreement that they are only going to scream on defense at a certain decibel level? And what about the wave? Can those people be thrown out if they try to start one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gross Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 The whole notion of penalizing a team for their fans making noise is total nonsense. That is like penalizing the home team for the streaker running through the field. 787852[/snapback] There was a year where the refs would actually address the crowd if the visiting offense complained. "Please quiet down or your team will be assessed a penalty" or somesuch. I don't even know if it lasted the full season... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justnzane Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 How will they regulate the fans? It's easy enough to make sure each team has an even number, but what about level of excitement? Does every fan coming in have to sign an agreement that they are only going to scream on defense at a certain decibel level? And what about the wave? Can those people be thrown out if they try to start one? 787860[/snapback] if they are the only ones doing it, then yeah . But they can sue for a complimentary six pack of schlitz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ConradDobler Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 Isn't Minnesota known for pumping in extra noise via their sound system when their opponent's offense is on the field? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justnzane Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 Isn't Minnesota known for pumping in extra noise via their sound system when their opponent's offense is on the field? 787868[/snapback] yeah they mic up their only two fans in attendance to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsWatch Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 How will they regulate the fans? It's easy enough to make sure each team has an even number, but what about level of excitement? Does every fan coming in have to sign an agreement that they are only going to scream on defense at a certain decibel level? And what about the wave? Can those people be thrown out if they try to start one? 787860[/snapback] Fans who start the wave while home team is on offense ought to be thrown out for general stupidity. Thankfully last week it did not happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrite Gal Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 My guess is that this is either a trial balloon which will be uickly shouted (literally) down or potentially it is simply yet another case of the media overblowing some musing by Goodell in their ongoing search to create controversy that gives them some column inches to sell ads around. There of course this yet another example of rich powerful insecure little people feeling they can control everything and if they do this it will be to their own detriment, but my guess is that this is mostly a tempest in a teapot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 !@#$ing Roger Goodell stole my bike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 !@#$ing Roger Goodell stole my bike. 787932[/snapback] I think he was behind the theft of R. Rich's cooler also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts