Fake crowd noise in Atlanta

[4DaBirds]

:les: In 2013 and 2014 the Falcons were fined for pumping in artificial crowd noise during home games. They were fined $350,000, and lost a draft pick.

Owner Arthur Blank said in a statement that the actions were "nowhere near the standards by which we run our business". That was obviously not true, as the despicable actions took place over two whole seasons.

How do we know that are not still doing it? :les:

It was a stupid thing that happened for sure, and it cost the Falcons a draft pick, a fine and team President (Rich McKay, whose also head of the NFL competition committee) was suspended too. Arthur Blank seemed to be rather forthright about what went down and fired the person (could have been a scapegoat) who was supposedly responsible for making it happen. IMO, the HC (Mike Smith) might have had a hand in it, as he and the team were struggling at the time, and his job was on the line. Pure speculation of course.

As a long time (since the mid 70's) Falcon fan, I've attended games in the Dome that were incredibly loud and obnoxious. I've also attended games where our fans just didn't get into the game all that much. DOn't get me wrong, there are always loud Falcon fans that love to get all jacked up. It can be a weird atmosphere at the dome when the opponent is mediocre, or if the Falcons are having a bad year. I won't defend our fanbase, because they piss me off with their lack of excitement at times. I will say that they do come through at playoff time or divisional games though, or if it's just a really good team visiting. The Dome itself is not a terrible venue, but it can be too comfortable at times with the controlled temperatures, and the natural lighting from the canvas roof can almost put you in a kick backed relaxed state, like you're hanging out on a covered back porch, in the spring time drinking beers, and chilling with your friends. I was a season ticket holder for about 7 straight years, between the last SB appearance and through the Vick era. I started off on the waiting list at the time, and had tickets in the upper level 300's, after 2 years there I was able to move down to club/mezzanine level, and then eventually to the lower level. The best time, and most exciting games for me were when I was in the upper level. The lower I got, the more subdued the fans were, and the only thing I can attribute it to, is the fact that it is more comfortable to sit down in the lower level, then it is the nose bleeds there. I will say this though, I've been to Panthers, Buccaneers, and Saints stadiums, and did not see their fanbases as being anything better than the Falcons.

I am looking forward to the new stadium and to see the Falcons playing in an outdoor setting (if you can call a retractable roof stadium outdoors) again. The new place will be lit to the hilt with natural and artificial light, and should be quite the site. Hopefully it will inspire the chit chat crowd to shut up and watch the game, and for all the late showing tailgaters to get to their seat on time. Or not.

 

[Followthelegion]

I hope the Seahawks do better against the Falcons than you losers are doing against FalconsFanNW...

LOL.

He's owning you.

shame he makes an utterly asinine point about Rawls rushing numbers.

There are some very good reasons why his rush numbers are so low this year, in no particular order:
1) he has not been healthy for most of the regular season
2) Wilson has been hobbled for first 2/3 of year and the rushing threat of the QB was therefore eliminated
3) the O-line at the tackle spots has been consistently changing
4) He has played against some stout rushing defenses

He doesn't need another franchise record day against the Falcons, but not exactly sure where the empirical evidence is that says he will have an ineffective day with conditions as good for him as against the Lions:
- Defense average to poor against the run
- He is healthy
- Wilson is as healthy as he is going to get this year, we can definitely say healthiest all year
- The line is finally stabilised and improving with playing time

 

[FalconsFanNW]

You might want to pass onto Quinn, that were going to run the ball and the Failcons are #27 out of 32 teams stopping it.

Weren't the 49ers 32 of 32 and ya'll managed to to get like 80 yards a couple weeks ago?

Doesn't he average like 3.2 yards for the season and have multiple games?

vs MIA 32 yds
@ LA -7 yds
vs PHI 57 yds
@ TB 38 yds
vs CAR 106 yds
@ GB 67 yds
vs LA 34 yds
vs AR 8 yds
@ SF 14 yds

But a 161 yard game vs Detroit signals he's the reincarnation of Marshawn Lynch?

k.

Let's get back to talking about fake crowd noise please.

Its funny how you act lie your run D is so much better than Detroit.

They are ranked 18th allowing 106ypg, and your Falcons... They beast out at 17th allowing 104.5ypg

Which is still more than the 51 YPG Rawls has averaged across 10 games (including the Detroit game) this season. Take the Detroit game out and he's at 39 YPG.

It's funnier how you act like Rawls is gonna run over the Falcons because he had a good game vs Detroit. Look up our last game vs Arizona... not sure why people act like Atlanta can't stop the run. We've given up a LOT of yards in garbage time too... like dude from New Orleans getting his 1000 yards last week.

Anyway, when looking back at Rawl's entire season as I've already pointed out you'll have to excuse me for not being worried.

We really should get back to talking about fake crowd noise though. I'd like to keep things on topic.

 

[Seymour]

You might want to pass onto Quinn, that were going to run the ball and the Failcons are #27 out of 32 teams stopping it.

Weren't the 49ers 32 of 32 and ya'll managed to to get like 80 yards a couple weeks ago?

Doesn't he average like 3.2 yards for the season and have multiple games?

vs MIA 32 yds
@ LA -7 yds
vs PHI 57 yds
@ TB 38 yds
vs CAR 106 yds
@ GB 67 yds
vs LA 34 yds
vs AR 8 yds
@ SF 14 yds

But a 161 yard game vs Detroit signals he's the reincarnation of Marshawn Lynch?

k.

Let's get back to talking about fake crowd noise please.

Very good point. We sucked against the 9ers worst run D. So.... it took Cable an extra couple weeks to grow a brain.

 

[mikeak]

When your team sucks, and needs all the help you can get you cheat.

When you have a good team that is playoff bound, there is no need to risk cheating.

Seems pretty simple to me. Are you keeping up?

There is no reason to personally attack people including visitors

According to reports today there are still approximately 5,000+ seats available ranging from $100-900.

That must include secondary market tickets. I went to ticketmaster and checked, turned off resale and there are sporadic tickets available.

If you looked at secondary market and tickets sold by the team then you would have seen the same for the Seahawks-Detroit game. Secondary market was in the dump for that game.

Not sure if people are saving their money for "later" in the playoff or just not willing to spend as much. It was very surprising for the WC game. I saw regular season games that sold for way more....... Could also be that so many season ticket holders just wanted a chance to make money

 

[Zombie Hawk]

The Colts used to do it when Manning was there too.

I have to admit it still concerns me. They were doing it for years and it took that long to get caught. Whos to say they don't ramp it up in an important playoff game. Also just my opinion, but pumping fake crowd noise to make a stadium louder when on defense seems like an egregious violation considering the advantage it provides. It's worse than anything the Patriots have done which is saying a lot.

I think it's a violation of the rules, but egregious? Worse than the pats? I mean, really when you are looking at the intended results, how is it any different than designing a stadium to amplify the crowd noise? I think it was a cheap way to gain the same advantage other home teams had.

Absolutely worse than the pats. Deflategate was an equipment violation. On the same level as the Chargers or Vikings heating footballs on the sidelines in cold weather games. The reason they lost a 1st round pick is because they are far and away the best team for the last 16 years and the owners/fans are tired of it. If you don't see that you are blind.

Also if Seattle had been caught doing this, you can imagine the media frenzy along with at least the loss of a 1st round pick. The reason noone really cares about ATL is the lack of success and the fact that they dont have a loud stadium. They got a slap on the wrist because of the state of the franchise.

 

[chris98251]

When your team sucks, and needs all the help you can get you cheat.

When you have a good team that is playoff bound, there is no need to risk cheating.

Seems pretty simple to me. Are you keeping up?

I'm plenty bright.

Serious question though... if good teams that are playoff bound have no need to risk cheating...

... what's the Patriots excuse?

Because they can and if the if the NFL has not specifically said you can't do something the Patriots look at it that means we can. Also being wife swap partners with Roger Goodell means Kraft and delay any repercussions and deny allegation avoiding fines, suspension loss of picks and then have an appeal process if some do get levied that is a joke since Roger presides over them.

 

[Steve2222]

I went to the divisional round game in Atlanta in 2012 and it was on par with the loudness at Century Link

I did as well, and this is laughably untrue. It was loud but not as loud as a regular season game at the Clink, much less a playoff game.

One of my friends was walking back from the restroom and said he heard brown or white noise clearly while entering the seating area. That was funny, considering the content of this post, it now makes sense.

The only place I've ever been that held a candle to the Clink was Arrowhead. FedEx was close. My last trip to Gillette was an absolute joke, literally as quiet as a golf tournament, with people actually clapping and making noise while their offense was on the field. NE might have the biggest joke of a fanbase in the entire NFL. Literally zero clue when to make noise and what's happening on the field.

No it was rocking that game. And I've been to roughly 80 games at CentLink. I never said it was louder. I've seen the Seahawks play at Bank of America, Georgia Dome, Lambeau Field, Super Dome, and University of Phoenix. CentLink and the Georgia Dome out of that list are definitely 1 and 2. The others were nowhere near as loud. I was surprised how quiet the Super Dome and Lambeau were.

 

[HansGruber]

I went to the divisional round game in Atlanta in 2012 and it was on par with the loudness at Century Link

I did as well, and this is laughably untrue. It was loud but not as loud as a regular season game at the Clink, much less a playoff game.

One of my friends was walking back from the restroom and said he heard brown or white noise clearly while entering the seating area. That was funny, considering the content of this post, it now makes sense.

The only place I've ever been that held a candle to the Clink was Arrowhead. FedEx was close. My last trip to Gillette was an absolute joke, literally as quiet as a golf tournament, with people actually clapping and making noise while their offense was on the field. NE might have the biggest joke of a fanbase in the entire NFL. Literally zero clue when to make noise and what's happening on the field.

No it was rocking that game. And I've been to roughly 80 games at CentLink. I never said it was louder. I've seen the Seahawks play at Bank of America, Georgia Dome, Lambeau Field, Super Dome, and University of Phoenix. CentLink and the Georgia Dome out of that list are definitely 1 and 2. The others were nowhere near as loud. I was surprised how quiet the Super Dome and Lambeau were.

Yeah me too, on Lambeau. After all I'd heard about it, I was expecting the fans to be really fired up. I think it's just a midwest thing. Everyone was mellow the entire time I was there. Almost like everyone had been smoking some killer weed. Everyone from the driver at the airport to the hotel staff to all restaurant staff, everyone I met in bars, etc. There were a few obnoxious people, but 98% of Wisconsins seem like they've been smokin the doob.

The game itself was quiet, like your experience. People were friendly and polite. Food was good. I enjoyed myself.

 

[AgentDib]

There was only one loud thing in the section I was sitting in for the 2012 divisional game and that was the announcer. It's 3rrrrrrrrrddddd and looooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnggggggggg. That by itself was borderline, as were the video montages they started with 25 seconds on the play clock that ran for 15 seconds. I wasn't at all surprised to learn about the crowd noise years later.

Blank himself was exonerated in noisegate though, as was Mike Smith. That's why it wasn't as much of an issue as the Patriots stuff where the NFL thinks it's BB and Brady leading the shenanigans.

The reason why it still matters in 2017 is just the humorous irony it adds when Falcon fans simultaneously complain about officiating and then bring up that lone playoff victory. They deliberately cheated in an extremely close playoff win over us and then want to play the victim card that they missed out on a hail mary chance this season due to Refs missing an offsetting penalties call.

 

[HAWKAMANIA]

They probably won't be pumping noise this time but the DJ did say he was going to play a lot of Future to troll RW. The Panthers did the same thing last year in the divisional playoff game.

I don't see how it's trolling though because I'm sure RW wouldn't recognize it, and he got Futures girl and kid, plus he's wealthier than Future and people know who Russell is. We only know who Future is because of Ciara and RW.

 

[SyCOLA]

There was only one loud thing in the section I was sitting in for the 2012 divisional game and that was the announcer. It's 3rrrrrrrrrddddd and looooooooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnggggggggg. That by itself was borderline, as were the video montages they started with 25 seconds on the play clock that ran for 15 seconds. I wasn't at all surprised to learn about the crowd noise years later.

Blank himself was exonerated in noisegate though, as was Mike Smith. That's why it wasn't as much of an issue as the Patriots stuff where the NFL thinks it's BB and Brady leading the shenanigans.

The reason why it still matters in 2017 is just the humorous irony it adds when Falcon fans simultaneously complain about officiating and then bring up that lone playoff victory. They deliberately cheated in an extremely close playoff win over us and then want to play the victim card that they missed out on a hail mary chance this season due to Refs missing an offsetting penalties call.

The noise was in 2013 and 2014, not 2012

 

[AgentDib]

Do you really believe that? They had the same administration in place since like 2008 and you think they randomly just started in 2013?

 

[SyCOLA]

The Colts used to do it when Manning was there too.

I have to admit it still concerns me. They were doing it for years and it took that long to get caught. Whos to say they don't ramp it up in an important playoff game. Also just my opinion, but pumping fake crowd noise to make a stadium louder when on defense seems like an egregious violation considering the advantage it provides. It's worse than anything the Patriots have done which is saying a lot.

I think it's a violation of the rules, but egregious? Worse than the pats? I mean, really when you are looking at the intended results, how is it any different than designing a stadium to amplify the crowd noise? I think it was a cheap way to gain the same advantage other home teams had.

Absolutely worse than the pats. Deflategate was an equipment violation. On the same level as the Chargers or Vikings heating footballs on the sidelines in cold weather games. The reason they lost a 1st round pick is because they are far and away the best team for the last 16 years and the owners/fans are tired of it. If you don't see that you are blind.

Also if Seattle had been caught doing this, you can imagine the media frenzy along with at least the loss of a 1st round pick. The reason noone really cares about ATL is the lack of success and the fact that they dont have a loud stadium. They got a slap on the wrist because of the state of the franchise.

All these ridiculous assumptions. Do you have any evidence to back up your what ifs?

 

[Hawkpower]

You might want to pass onto Quinn, that were going to run the ball and the Failcons are #27 out of 32 teams stopping it.

Weren't the 49ers 32 of 32 and ya'll managed to to get like 80 yards a couple weeks ago?

Doesn't he average like 3.2 yards for the season and have multiple games?

vs MIA 32 yds
@ LA -7 yds
vs PHI 57 yds
@ TB 38 yds
vs CAR 106 yds
@ GB 67 yds
vs LA 34 yds
vs AR 8 yds
@ SF 14 yds

But a 161 yard game vs Detroit signals he's the reincarnation of Marshawn Lynch?

k.

Let's get back to talking about fake crowd noise please.

Its funny how you act lie your run D is so much better than Detroit.

They are ranked 18th allowing 106ypg, and your Falcons... They beast out at 17th allowing 104.5ypg

Which is still more than the 51 YPG Rawls has averaged across 10 games (including the Detroit game) this season. Take the Detroit game out and he's at 39 YPG.

It's funnier how you act like Rawls is gonna run over the Falcons because he had a good game vs Detroit. Look up our last game vs Arizona... not sure why people act like Atlanta can't stop the run. We've given up a LOT of yards in garbage time too... like dude from New Orleans getting his 1000 yards last week.

Anyway, when looking back at Rawl's entire season as I've already pointed out you'll have to excuse me for not being worried.

We really should get back to talking about fake crowd noise though. I'd like to keep things on topic.

Of course Rawls has been hurt for large parts of the season, but you knew that when pretending those stats were meaningful right?

Or is this kind of like you pretending that the loss of Earl is 10 times worse than not having Clark, Kam, Morgan, Rawls, Bennett for a half.......lol

Your desperation and denial are getting worse the closer to Saturday we get

 

[irocdave]

Just a general note, most hawk fans responding to falcon related posts are really reaching to justify their positions why the falcons are going to be beaten down, reminds me a lot of the niners fans in 2013. If the hawks lose, which is a very real possibility Saturday, some posters on this site are going to be in for a serious reality check with the consistent homerism. Pumped in sound or not. Never thought this would happen to hawk fans, guess I was wrong.

 

[Hawkpower]

Just a general note, most hawk fans responding to falcon related posts are really reaching to justify their positions why the falcons are going to be beaten down, reminds me a lot of the niners fans in 2013. If the hawks lose, which is a very real possibility Saturday, some posters on this site are going to be in for a serious reality check with the consistent homerism. Pumped in sound or not. Never thought this would happen to hawk fans, guess I was wrong.

Intensity ramps up this time of year.

It was the same last year with Viking and then Panther fans.

What do you want, hawk fans to just bow to the mighty Falcons and concede defeat? Of course both sides are talking tough, its and evenly matched NFC divisional game.

Wouldnt expect anything less.

 

[mistaowen]

Just a general note, most hawk fans responding to falcon related posts are really reaching to justify their positions why the falcons are going to be beaten down, reminds me a lot of the niners fans in 2013. If the hawks lose, which is a very real possibility Saturday, some posters on this site are going to be in for a serious reality check with the consistent homerism. Pumped in sound or not. Never thought this would happen to hawk fans, guess I was wrong.

jesus christ, so you hope for a loss this weekend? I dont understand your viewpoint unless you are comfortable with the team you like losing.

Pumped in sound or not has nothing to do with the game, you just kinda, relate 2013 niners to............homerism?

If we win this weekend, feel free to not get any appreciation of the win.

 

[mistaowen]

Just a general note, most hawk fans responding to falcon related posts are really reaching to justify their positions why the falcons are going to be beaten down, reminds me a lot of the niners fans in 2013. If the hawks lose, which is a very real possibility Saturday, some posters on this site are going to be in for a serious reality check with the consistent homerism. Pumped in sound or not. Never thought this would happen to hawk fans, guess I was wrong.

jesus christ, so you hope for a loss this weekend? I dont understand your viewpoint unless you are comfortable with the team you like losing.

Pumped in sound or not has nothing to do with the game, you just kinda, relate 2013 niners to............homerism?

If we win this weekend, feel free to not get any appreciation of the win.

Actually, you will probably show up if the Seahawks lose with an 'I told you so'

Mental note, GFY irocdave,

 

[Kaiser]

Yall