Fake Crowd Noise
August 31st, 2020
Headaches and noise.
So Friday Joe was at the Den of Depression for the Bucs’ scrimmage and got a taste of what fake crowd noise sounds like.
The NFL is expected to have many stadiums empty this fall, at least early in the season (no, no official word yet about the Bucs). Therefore, there will be fake crowd noise pumped into stadiums. And yes, the Den of Depression will be one of them.
The Den of Depression got a dry run on fake crowd noise during the scrimmage Friday.
Bucco Bruce Arians has previously said he was under the impression that the league was going to cap the sound at 85 decibels, which is basically the same noise level as an air conditioning unit or maybe a vacuum sweeper.
In reality, either someone doesn’t know what decibel level to pipe in, or Joe has been around the quietest sweepers and air conditioners known to man.
Basically the fake crowd noise was about as loud as a commercial jet. How does Joe know this? The planes that took off from Tampa International and flew over the Den of Depression at low levels last Friday could barely be heard.
Yesterday, Joe asked Arians how rookie right tackle Tristan Wirfs handled himself in the scrimmage and Arians went right into the fake noise.
“The noise didn’t bother him,” Arians said. The noise “it didn’t seem like much, but it gave me a hell of a headache – just the non-stop [noise]. But it was good for us.”
Overall, it wasn’t what Joe would call loud. Nothing close to seeing AC/DC in its prime.
Now Joe was certain the fake crowd noise was so the NFL’s broadcast partners wouldn’t catch any of the chatter on the field in an empty stadium. While Joe would pay to hear coaches holler and players cuss and talk trash, and scream in agony after receiving a bone-rattling hit, that is the absolute last thing one of the NFL’s broadcast partners wants.
Think about it: NFL advertising partners don’t want their logos on the screen while in the background you hear a linebacker talk about what he did with a barmaid in his hotel room the night before, or Arians using his favorite cuss word (MF’er).
But hot-dog-eating-contest-protesting, mock-draft-scowling, L.L. Bean-wearing, Second Amendment abolitionist, Mike-Florio-arguing, parrot-insensitive, chewing-with-his-mouth-open, soup-gulping, California-train-romancing, anti-football proliferation, outhouse-admiring, airline-napping, steerage-flying, Yogi Berra-worshiping, urinal-picture-taking, video-game-playing, Taylor-Swift-listening, pickpocket-thwarting, Bucs-uniform-frowning, Allie-LaForce-smitten, Big-Ten-Network-hating, pedestrian-bumping, olive oil-lapping, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, craft-beer-chugging, cricket-watching, scone-loathing, college football-naïve, baseball-box-score-reading, NPR-honk, filthy-hotel-staying, fight-instigating, barista-training, Budweiser-tolerant, baseball scorecard-keeping, pasta-feasting, vomit-dodging scrooge, Kay-Adams-following, social activist NFL insider Peter King of NBC Sports came at this from a truly different angle Joe never thought of.
NFL coaches want the fake crowd noise, King reported, as much as fans may not want any fake noise.
Why is that? Because no segment of society is more paranoid than football coaches. Not CIA agents. Not Navy SEALs, not degenerate gamblers. No one.
Therefore, coaches wanted fake noise in empty stadiums (and on broadcasts) so other teams can’t pick up one of their signals.
Yes, really.
August 31st, 2020 at 5:44 am
What an utterly bizzare season this will be. Hey..glass half full. At least we will have a season.
August 31st, 2020 at 5:46 am
At the very least, it will at least add a gameday feel for the broadcast. But I can’t help but remember some old SITCOMs with laugh tracks that would loop over and over and get annoying. Of course, technology has improved since then.
The biggest question I have is who actually controls/monitors the noise during the games (neutral party?), as obviously we’d want it to be equitable NFL wide.
August 31st, 2020 at 5:49 am
@Pick 6….I HOPE we have a season. Kids going back to school is a good thing, and it’s great more and more stuff is opening up, but the wheels can come off quickly if people get complacent. Hope not!
August 31st, 2020 at 6:15 am
agreed Roy
August 31st, 2020 at 7:37 am
So if it’s noise to drown out talking that would be White Noise and yes it gives you a headache. I guess it would be real White Noise but same purpose.
August 31st, 2020 at 7:38 am
I watched the boxing on FOX over the weekend. They had fake fans. It was close to the dumbest thing I have ever seen.
August 31st, 2020 at 7:50 am
I must think like a coach then. That’s the first thing i thought of. Cmon Bruce give me a job I can ride Tommys coattails too!
August 31st, 2020 at 7:50 am
I would think the home team has control of when and how loud the noise is within NFL set parameters. Just like the home team has the crowd for an advantage on any game.
August 31st, 2020 at 8:00 am
Great stuff JOE-just HYSTERICAL!!
But hot-dog-eating-contest-protesting, mock-draft-scowling, L.L. Bean-wearing, Second Amendment abolitionist, Mike-Florio-arguing, parrot-insensitive, chewing-with-his-mouth-open, soup-gulping, California-train-romancing, anti-football proliferation, outhouse-admiring, airline-napping, steerage-flying, Yogi Berra-worshiping, urinal-picture-taking, video-game-playing, Taylor-Swift-listening, pickpocket-thwarting, Bucs-uniform-frowning, Allie-LaForce-smitten, Big-Ten-Network-hating, pedestrian-bumping, olive oil-lapping, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, craft-beer-chugging, cricket-watching, scone-loathing, college football-naïve, baseball-box-score-reading, NPR-honk, filthy-hotel-staying, fight-instigating, barista-training, Budweiser-tolerant, baseball scorecard-keeping, pasta-feasting, vomit-dodging scrooge, Kay-Adams-following, social activist NFL insider Peter King of NBC Sports came at this from a truly different angle Joe never thought of.
August 31st, 2020 at 8:18 am
They have to tweak it so it dont just go full throttle the whole game.
August 31st, 2020 at 8:22 am
I have watched some baseball and though the fake noise was “okay” but still felt wierd because I knew the stands were empty. Not to be mean, but fan noise from the Trop is a dead giveaway most of the time due to usually poor attendance.
So, @topdoggie….question for you: For the boxing you watched, if you didn’t know better, would you believe there were actually people there? Was it that hokie?
August 31st, 2020 at 8:47 am
NHL has been doing this for the playoffs and it is fine. They are using the right people that mixed for EA sports. But I am watching the game and not looking for the fan so I don’t care they are not there. My only concern is the Lightning win. It will be the same for the Bucs. NASCAR no fans but so what?
August 31st, 2020 at 8:57 am
“Fake” crowd noise for the fake and overrated head coach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
go bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 31st, 2020 at 9:23 am
Well Realist, he certainly is no Mike Smith.
August 31st, 2020 at 10:17 am
All major sports should be selling premium sound packages complete with unfiltered chatter from the field of play. Sign me up. NHL playoffs with crystal clear sounds of players calling for the puck would be awesome. Pre-snap trash talk from the line of scrimmage or chatter from the dugout directed at the ump. It goes on and on. As sports began to return I felt this was going to be the greatest benefit realized of games sans fans. Fake fans are lame, and the fake noise isn’t even that well orchestrated with the play. Better audio allows us to feel more connected to the game, there’s huge room for improvement in this area. I hope the NFL can take advantage of being last and become pioneers.
August 31st, 2020 at 10:26 am
Amazon (or any internet outfit that can afford to buy NFL rights) can pull this off because they don’t have to worry about the FCC.
August 31st, 2020 at 11:31 am
I was in New Orleans yesterday – they have signs out advertising the Saints/Bucs in 2 weeks at their restaurants. Given the level of “fear’ in NO I doubt they will allow fans in the stadium. The Cov-19 fear there is a 7.5 compared to here in Lakeland where the Cov-19 fear is like 2!
August 31st, 2020 at 1:03 pm
@Roy It looked like they took a still and made it into wallpaper. They made the image blurry. Maybe in the 70’s with a few little helpers it might have looked realistic.
August 31st, 2020 at 1:14 pm
Paul…haven’t laughed like that on this site…ever. Great post. Go Bucs!
August 31st, 2020 at 4:09 pm
The fake crowd noise sounds decent in the Lightning games on the tube…
August 31st, 2020 at 4:13 pm
Parabola dishes focused on the players would be excellent. I’d love to hear all the line calls and defense adjustments on the fly.
Screw the crowd noise. Give us football noise.