First of all, the Patriots? 24-20 win over the Colts last Sunday on CBS earned an overnight household rating/share of 22.5/39, which was the highest-rated Sunday afternoon NFL regular-season game on any network in the metered markets since CBS began keeping records in 1987. The previous high was a 22.2/41 in 1996 for a Cowboys-49ers game.
OK, it was great TV. But was it the Colts or CBS that boosted the audio in the RCA Dome that gave the Patriots fits?
A day after some unusual sounds were heard during the broadcast, the NFL issued a statement saying what sounded like simulated crowd noise was actually created by the CBS production crew, not the Colts.
“CBS has informed us that the unusual audio moment heard by fans during the Patriots-Colts game was the result of tape feedback in the CBS production truck and was isolated to the CBS broadcast,” the league said. “It was in no way related to any sound within the stadium and could not be heard in the stadium.”
For years teams that have played the Colts in the RCA Dome have complained that it is the loudest stadium in the NFL. There have been rumblings that the Colts have placed mics around the field and then feed the audio through the Dome?s loud-speaker system.
The incident in question is making the rounds on YouTube and is called “Indy Cheats.”
On the first play of the fourth quarter ? a 14-yard pass from Tom Brady to Randy Moss ? the crowd noise is heard before and during the play, then immediately cuts out when Moss is tackled.
A report on yahoo.com said Patriots president Jonathan Kraft complained to NFL vice president of security Milt Ahlerich afterward. Kraft is the son of Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
Any enhancement of crowd noise violates NFL rules, but Patriots spokesman Stacey James says the team neither filed nor intends to file a formal complaint with the league.
It’s not the first time Indianapolis has been accused ofsuch tactics. The Pittsburgh Steelers complained about the same thing after a 26-7 loss at the Dome in November 2005. Since then, other teams have informally contended there is artificial noise pumped into the dome.
Having done games at the RCA Dome, I have to say there is a definite home-field advantage.
While we?re at it:
Watching the Ravens get crushed 38-7 by the Steelers was bad enough, but it was clear that the MNF team of Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser were making matters worse. It sounded like Jaws and Korny were getting a bit of joy out of watching Pittsburgh pick apart the Ravens? defense like a Thanksgiving turkey. Where is Joe Theismann when you need him?
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this! at examiner.com.
