RHINO DROPPINGS

July 13, 2005

I think we can all agree that Friday’s match against Minnesota featured a PA system operating at noticeably lower levels.  This could have something to do with the growing complaints, but it may have simply occurred because the crowd was so small (relatively speaking).

But how “quiet” was it?

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association says “sounds louder than 80 decibels (dBA) are considered potentially dangerous,” and “continued exposure to more than 85 dBA of noise may cause gradual but permanent damage to hearing.”  Additionally, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires businesses to establish hearing protection programs if employees are exposed to noise levels which average 85 dBA or higher (read: mandatory earplugs).  Virtually every source available reaches the same conclusion: If you can’t have a conversation without shouting, it’s too fricking loud.

Would it surprise you to hear (no pun intended) that the average advertisement/commercial at Friday’s match was 88.5 dBA?  How about an 85.7 dBA for the noticeably quieter music?  Kind of makes you wonder how high those numbers were for the previous game.

The irritating local radio goon/David Spade-wannabe who leads the halftime debacle clocked in at over 100 dBA.  Commercials for the Soccer Shack, Blanchard Florist, and South Park, along with the introduction of the youth soccer halftime play and the truly unnecessary “one-minute warning” all measured at least 95 dBA.  So did the announcement of Kirk Wilson’s goal, but more on actual soccer-related intrusions in a bit.  In case you were wondering, the fireworks were some of the evening’s more tranquil events, registering in the low 80s from Section 225 and the Walk of Fame.

If you really want to make yourself sick, think about this: These 90 minutes of soccer were interrupted 102 times by music and commercials.  There were 37 songs played (26% of the match, or 23:30) and 65 advertisements (25% and 22:17), meaning fans are assaulted with noise at unsafe levels for over half of the match.  And that doesn’t even include the pre-game, half-time, or post-game.  If you watched 90 minutes of commercial television at home, you’d only be subjected to 24 minutes of interruptions, as opposed to nearly 46 at a Rhinos game.  And at home, the commercials wouldn’t distract you by running over the top of whatever programming you were watching.  Also, OSHA wouldn’t recommend you wear earplugs while you were doing it, either.

This got RD wondering: What the heck do any of these aural intrusions have to do with the game?  In most cases, absolutely nothing at all.  It’d be one thing if everybody sang along to “Runaround Sue” like they do with “Sweet Caroline” at Fenway, but that’s just not happening here.  Instead, we’re left to wonder what the connection is between Sue and the Rhinos.  Or which local auto shyster can stack cars and which can’t.  Or why we need to know who the Official Dentist and Official Eye Doctor of the team are (if you’re going to bombard us with the latter – at 91 dBA, by the way – the absolute minimum you should do is play the ad after a really bad blunder from the ref).  Or why the PA continues to drown out legitimate cheering from the bullpen and bleachers just so we can hear Gwen Stefani spell “bananas”?

That’s right, kids – only 115 seconds of PA noise (2% of the match) had to do with what you were watching on the pitch, and that’s a sad, sad fact.  111 total interruptions over 90 minutes, and only nine of them were even remotely necessary (scoring, cards, substitutions).  Do you think this is acceptable?  If not, do something about it by voicing your opinion on rhinosfan.com, the Rhino Pit email group, or by calling or emailing the Rhinos.  Your voice does count, and by doing nothing, you’re giving away your considerable power as a consumer.  Conversely, if there’s someone out there who is attending games just to hear “What I Like About You” blasted at 85 dBA, let everyone know how you feel, too.

Remember – we’re still not sure if these antics are going to continue at PTP, so act now before you permanently damage the hearing of you and your family.  Yes, Friday’s match was – intentionally or not – a tiny step in the right direction, but the end result is still unacceptable, especially when you consider most soccer fans in other cities enjoy their games without interruption, let alone at harmful sound levels.

Complete data can be found here.

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