Now hear this: Noise not needed
By Terry Pluto
CLEVELAND - I’m writing this at Jacobs Field. It’s the third inning of Tuesday’s Tribe game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The press-box windows are open; it’s 75 degrees.

I’m actually having a conversation with the person next to me — in this case, it’s Beacon Journal baseball writer Sheldon Ocker.

It’s doesn’t matter what we’re talking about….

OK, I’ll tell you….

Sheldon said he was on an airplane, “and a guy comes up to me with a bag of rolls and he wants me to hold them. He’s a big guy, really big, and he has this other bag. He hands me the rolls, then he reaches up to put this other bag in the luggage compartment. And his pants fall down! I mean, right there on the plane, there’s this guy with his pants around his ankles.'’

Granted, it’s one of those stories where you had to be there….

But the point is, I could hear it. I actually could talk to someone at a ballgame! I mean, he could finish a sentence without the scoreboard bellowing: “EVERYBODY CLAP YOUR HANDS! EVERYBODY CLAP YOUR HANDS!'’

You hear that at an NBA game, and you want to scream: “EVERYBODY JUST SHUT UP! EVERYBODY JUST SHUT UP!'’

I followed the Cavaliers from Washington to New Jersey to Detroit to San Antonio during the playoffs. I haven’t been able to talk to anyone — and hear anything — in any arena for two months. I had to SCREAM at people next to me.

As I wrote this, I heard the rumble of the crowd, and, off in the distance, a guy yelling, “BEER MAN HERE!'’ Slider was waddling around, giving away a pizza. Most people ignored him. Most people just sat and talked and munched popcorn and sipped soft drinks. Or they chomped down a hot dog.

They actually… relaxed!

In some NBA arenas, you feel like you are trapped in a garbage can, and there are three guys pounding on it with baseball bats: Boom… BOOM… BOOM!!!

They ought to use some of the music banging away at NBA arenas for torture techniques. By the third quarter, the hardest-core terrorist would be blabbing, willing to say anything to make it stop. He’d be begging, “Oh, no, not EVERYBODY CLAP YOUR HANDS one more time!'’

Just before I wrote this, the Indians’ scoreboard launched some fireworks. Sirens blared. Fans stood and stomped.

That’s because something happened: Ryan Garko hit a home run.

At Quicken Loans Arena and some other NBA venues, the scoreboard breathes fire during the introductions. There are explosions that rock the walls. A guy races to midcourt and starts shouting… then he raises his voice to a screech… the scoreboard howls at you.

It’s like being trapped in a video game designed to make you go deaf or turn your mind to mush.

EVERYBODY CLAP YOUR HANDS!

They play it at Jacobs Field, too. Most fans just shrug and clap their hands when they feel like it, like when something happens. That’s what is good about this place. You are not assaulted with all the noise.

“We know that our fans come to the game to talk not just to the person next to them, but maybe someone they just met sitting in front or in back,'’ said Tribe Vice President Bob DiBiasio. “Our approach is different than basketball. It’s the pace of play, it’s outdoors, it’s slower. We keep the volume lower so our fans can talk if they want.'’

In the NBA, silence is the enemy. Silence is scary. Silence is feared.

EVERYBODY CLAP YOUR HANDS!

ARRGGHH!

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has done some terrific things at Quicken Loans Arena, from the new floor to the new seats to the new scoreboard. He’s put more than $10 million into the facility. The video presentation of the players getting ready for the game, along with highlights during the game on the huge video screen are excellent.

There are nice touches like face painting and shooting baskets for kids. He gives away a lot of stuff during games like Nerf balls, T-shirts and food.

It’s just too bad you can’t talk to the person next to you about it.

If you ever feel like you aren’t in touch with the more purist mentality of a percentage of any audience, I think Pluto does a nice job explaining it here. Many teams make the decision to just ramp things up as much as possible. I think it’s good to consider this segment of the audience when creating your overall presentation.

While the percentage of the audience is small (many estimate the purist segment to be only 10%) there are two problems simply dismissing it.

First, it’s a segment that probably isn’t going away…and if you manage to chase them away it might signal that you aren’t being true to the sport. Part of what makes Pluto’s story so worthwhile for review is it’s plain and unemotional request to consider the purist view. It shows that he understands the reality of the situation (that teams need to present a flurry of entertainment), yet was just asking to be heard as a member of the more purist fan segment.

Second, it’s hard to find a newspaper across the country who doesn’t have at least one purist on staff. So alienating this segment nearly guarantees at least one story a year (like Pluto’s) for your market to consider.

It’s all part of of larger overall philosophical decision on your show… but sometimes it’s good to consider all the benefits and costs of that decision, including the enjoyment of the full spectrum of your fans and how your media may portray your show.
-Cudo