Are We Losing Our Voice?

[AgentDib]

The crowd around me has gotten much weaker over the years but at the same time my seats have gotten better so I can't really judge fairly. It sure feels pathetic at times these days.

I do think you give up your right to complain about crowd noise if you don't go to the games in person.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Well, after 2 nights of singing at my gigs, and screaming at the game yesterday, I can barely talk. I did my part, but overall it was kind of up and down on the noise level. But look at the game, it was a crap show for a good portion. Unfortunately, fans have gotten so spoiled here. And there were STILL a lot of people chanting SEA-HAWKS when we were about to go on offense. Hello...….McFly
It still was plenty loud quite a few times, especially in the 4th quarter.

 

[Mase]

-- I'LL TRY YELLING.

DALTON WAS HEARD ON THE SIDELINE COMPLAINING ABOUT THE NOISE REPEATEDLY TO HIS COACHES. HE IS NOT GOING TO BE OVERLY DEMONSTRATIVE ON THE FIELD, BECAUSE THAT JUST RILES THE FANS UP EVEN MORE.

Sorry to yell, but to see the conversation continue with the idea that it does nothing to the opposing team, was just irritating. If the other QB says it still has an affect, I would assume it does.

Mase

 

[IndyHawk]

Can we jam the wireless so the mic in helmet is worthless?
All I can say is I miss the Kingdome sometimes..
The pounding,stamping,echo's with the madman yelling..
It never leaves you.

 

[ivotuk]

I have no voice today. It feels like I've been swallowing sandpaper. I kept coughing and thinking "okay, that's it, I'm done yelling," but your emotions won't let you stay quiet. And if I hadn't worn ear plugs, I'd be deaf today.

And even though i have multiple fused disks, and my back was hurting, every time i sat down, it was right back up again!

And wow! The Flag, the National Anthem, the Crowd Reaction during the National Anthem, and the Flyover! I got emotional! My eyes started watering.

I also noticed that i didn't stress as much being at the game, as i do at home. There's too much going on. Dude next to me kept high fiving, people going in and out,the spectacle of just being in such a fabulous venue! It was crazy!I

There was a delay of game, and something else that i can't remember, so the Crowd did have some effect, but i agree with Todd, not the kind of effect I'm used to seeing. OR maybe I'm over thinking it and was expecting more because i was there. there. There was an effect, just not what i was expecting.

The Bengals must have been working on some kind of visual signal. Maybe somebody on the sidelines?

 

[ivotuk]

Let's not kid ourselves...We still are one of, if not THE loudest fans in the NFL (Chiefs fans can argue)...This is not about not being loud, we ARE still very loud. Maybe not as hyper loud as 2012-2014 or what-have-you, but yes most fans are still bringing it on gameday. It's just the adjustment to the noise that's my concern.

Remember there HC he came from the Rams, they have been playing us a few times before this and they do master a silent count and quick count in our and other loud environments, if we want to mess them up now you need to be loud when they huddle so they can't hear the calls or signals used.

IMHO, it was loud during the huddle, but much louder when they were at the line. And It was INTENSE on the 4th and 1, and immediately there after.

 

[Cyrus12]

White collar crowd vs blue collar. Rising cost of tickets on the secondary market and not to mention it's a fad team the last few years. A lot of the real fans cant afford it anymore. It was also a really boring game.

 

[oldhawkfan]

It irritates me when I see crowd shots on tv at times the fans should be bringing the noise and they are basically silent.

 

[Fade]

When the Seahawks were trailing against the Bengals the crowd got real quiet. (Fairweather)

Not that long ago the crowd would actually get louder (pissed off) when that happened. Not anymore.

The White Collar vs Blue Collar thing is real, but I would put most of it on the fad, trendy, I have been a fan since 2012 crowd.

 

[Seahwkgal]

When ticket prices soar there's a different fan that fills the stadium. How many of those fans does it take to bring the noise level down?

Nothing better than blue collar noise. Most wealthy people are boring snobs.

 

[AROS]

I agree with your concerns. Fans should start a "gameday noise" thread advising fans on when, and how to make as much noise as possible. Honey before and after the game. How to smuggle an air horn/cowbell through security. Take tuba lessons to improve lung capacitty. Thoughts?

#threadkiller

 

[Mad Dog]

I thought it was a so-so day for the 12's. Bengals just don't bring the ire like division foes. Don't think the Seahawks did much to stoke the fires either with their shoddy play on offense. It's hard to bring the noise when the defense isn't getting stops and the offense is going 3 and out. It just wears on your vocal cords and intensity.

We were louder in 2012-2014 because the defense could get off the field and the offense could sustain drives. That makes it easier on the 12's to focus their intensity.

Nonetheless we still got a false start and a delay of game and forced them to burn a time out. 3 impact plays for the 12's. Almost as many as the offense had all day.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Very much so, the opponent does matter. There were some good loud moments, but the game more like the Twilight Zone most of the time. It'll be plenty loud for the Saints in a couple weeks.

 

[AROS]

I thought it was a so-so day for the 12's. Bengals just don't bring the ire like division foes. Don't think the Seahawks did much to stoke the fires either with their shoddy play on offense. It's hard to bring the noise when the defense isn't getting stops and the offense is going 3 and out. It just wears on your vocal cords and intensity.

We were louder in 2012-2014 because the defense could get off the field and the offense could sustain drives. That makes it easier on the 12's to focus their intensity.

Nonetheless we still got a false start and a delay of game and forced them to burn a time out. 3 impact plays for the 12's. Almost as many as the offense had all day.

Solid points. You're right...A non-conference - ho hum - team brings apathy along with it. If it was the Rams or even 49ers I suspsect the fevered pitch would have been substantially raised.

 

[bbsplitter]

Yesterday at the game, I couldn't help but notice that no matter how loud we were (and yes, we were LOUD), it didn't seem to faze Andy and their offense much. I have seen this disturbing trend in recent years. It seems like teams have mastered the silent count to negate the noise.

Now that's not to say that the noise doesn't have any effect. I think on some psychological, collective level it still does. It has to be unsettling for the players to be surrounded by such loudness. Yet, it seems to me that teams are smarter in how they deal with it. False starts are no longer the norm. Thoughts?

I also agree this has been becoming a trend. For me I started noticing teams being better prepared for it starting a year or two ago when there was a lot of press about the back and forth decibel level record between us and the Chiefs stadium.

Unfortunately all that attention I think made a lot of teams notice and take the noise level effect a lot more seriously. I think the attitude used to be "if we can't handle a little noise we don't deserve to win anyways" but teams pay a lot more attention to it now.

 

[ZagHawk]

I think there are a variety of things going on:

1) Although home-opener, the Bengals aren't exactly a team to get hyped up against for a casual fan
2) Season tickets have gone up year after year, bringing in new fans who may not be as die-hard and/or know the ropes of getting loud when the playcall is being made not just attempting to cause a false start. If you were to ask around I'm sure only 3/10 people in the stadium realize it's time to get loud for the playcall not just when they line up and snap. Also with said price point, even myself, my season tickets have gone up over $200 a seat in the last few years, I can no longer afford to go to EVERY home game anymore. So admittedly the person filling my seat for those game(s) I sell, probably is going to be a casual fan.
3) Teams are prepared for the noise coming in, you would have to be somewhat stupid as a team not to prepare for it coming in.
4) The Seahawks defense is just not as good AND teams have also figured out how to be effective against PC's defensive scheme...dink and dunk all the way up the field.

The last reason above causes a variety of things that thus effect the perceived NOISE in the stadium. First off as a fan, it's easy to be loud as hell and amped up when your D is taking them off the field in 3 downs. However, when the other team is just driving up the field dinking and dunking all the way up, where a quick pass over and over negates what half step extra pass rush can be generated from noise. Guess what? The fans also get demoralized themselves. I'm up here standing and screaming losing my voice and feeling like a damn moron while more and more people are making less noise and sitting down because guess what? it's not making a difference. They're getting that first down, they're not making pre-snap penalties, there are no sacks that feel remotely connected to the crowd noise. it's demoralizing as a fan in bleeds (which includes me), after about 2-3 quarters of continued garbage offense and watching a team drive up the field over and over again...you kind of lose your voice or your desire to remain loud pissing off the people in front and/or behind you who just want to watch the game.

 

[Tical21]

I believe in part due to our success, stadiums across the league have gotten louder and louder. Therefore, the difference between our stadium and what they normally see on the road isn't as great.

 

[Jerhawk]

When ticket prices soar there's a different fan that fills the stadium. How many of those fans does it take to bring the noise level down?

:ditto: Its too expensive to go to a game anymore, something that had more than likely kept the loud and routy crowd out of the stands.

Also, a lot of fans thought that Cincy would just roll over for us, so the fans didn't seem to be as enthusiastic.
Games where the Hawks are underdogs at home seem to bring out the more passionate crowd

 

[Washington49er]

The Hawks are Professional football team, their wins and losses should depend the coaching and performance of the players not how loud the fans are.

I'm sorry but I can't believe you even have a thread about this.

 

[nanomoz]

Anyone think that gameday noise has consistently reduced for a number of years?

I think that I think so. Lots of probable factors. Increasing ticket prices and luxury situations put more wealthy folks not into the gameday culture in the stadium. I've read about this factor in other stadiums, too.

Also, everyone constantly staring at a glowing screen (we are already cyborgs) reduces engagement to the live action. Less engagement = less noise, I would think.