Some clips from my sound research at the MCG stadium in Australia. Reports that the Whiners have a large fan base in Australia. The expectation is that the Rams will be playing as the visiting team. They will have to deal with the visiting-team crowd noise level. This is par for the course for the Rams. I hope McVay has worked on getting play calls in faster to avoid unforced errors resulting in early timeouts and delay of game penalties. The good news is it should be much better than playing the Hags in Seattle.
PEAK RECORDED DECIBELS
[127.0 dB] Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
[137.6 dB] Lumen Field (Seattle)
[142.2 dB] Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City) ★ World Record
1. The Decibel Gap (Why 15 Decibels is Massive)
At first glance, the jump from the MCG’s 127 dB to Arrowhead’s 142.2 dB might look small, but decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale
. Every increase of 10 decibels represents a sound that is twice as loud to the human ear. [1, 2]
The Verdict
- Arrowhead’s record is nearly three times louder to human perception than the MCG’s loudest moment.
The MCG creates a beautiful, inescapable, and massive wave of sound because it is an uninterrupted circular bowl. However, because NFL stadiums like Arrowhead and Lumen Field were specifically designed tightly around a narrow rectangular field to weaponize fan noise, their field-level intensity is much more piercing, sharp, and disruptive to football communication. [1, 2, 3]
Yes it can get very loud for an AFL game but with much of the crowd being first time NFL watchers, including myself, it may not be as loud. Me and my boys will be making a lot of noise for the RAMS !! The oval ground may play a part too, as you mentioned it is designed for AFL and Cricket not rectangular sports. Am expecting to be in the minority as there are many whiners fans down here but Rams are definitely gaining traction. The NFL allocation of the Rams as one of Australia's teams has definitely increased our popularity.