Indianapolis Colts...cheaters?

[Nors]

Colts deny allegations artificial noise was piped into RCA Dome

By MICHAEL MAROT, AP Sports Writer
November 5, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The Indianapolis Colts contend the debate about the decibel level in the RCA Dome is merely noise, and now they have the NFL taking their side.

A day after some unusual sounds were heard during the Colts-Patriots broadcast Sunday, the NFL issued a statement saying what sounded like simulated crowd noise was actually created by the CBS production crew, not the Colts.

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"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."

Network officials did not give any additional details, referring only to the league's statement. The telecast received the highest rating overnight rating, 22.5, of any Sunday afternoon regular-season NFL game since at least 1987 and had a 39 share nationally.

The Web site YouTube carried a 1-minute, 10-second clip entitled "Indy Cheats" that replayed the moments in question.

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. In addition, there appeared to be a vibration in the sound while the crowd was cheering.

A published 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 would violate NFL rules, and Patriots spokesman Stacey James denied the team either filed or intended to file a formal complaint with the league.

It's not the first time Indianapolis has been accused of such 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.

The Colts have continually denied the accusations, and issued their strongest worded statement yet on Monday.

"We trust this will put an end to the ridiculous and unfounded accusations that the Colts artificially enhanced crowd noise at the RCA Dome in any way," the team said.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick, no stranger to controversy, did not discuss those allegations during his regularly scheduled news conference Monday. Instead, Belichick said he was more concerned with communication problems he said existed between Patriots coaches and Brady.

"Basically, we didn't have a coach-to-quarterback operation, so we had to signal in all of the plays, which is unusual, but that's the way it was," he said. "What all was going on, I can't tell you, but I can tell you that, from a functional standpoint, the coach-to-quarterback was basically useless."

The latest accusations add yet another chapter to this already heated rivalry.

There have been complaints about leaving the field at Gillette Stadium uncovered the night before games and contentions Pats defenders were illegally holding receivers downfield.

Now there's crowd noise, communication issues and even something as simple as a postgame handshake between Colts coach Tony Dungy and Belichick, who quickly walked past Dungy as Dungy attempted to speak with him Sunday.

Dungy downplayed the incident.

"Bill is fine, he's a good guy, that's the way he is win or lose," Dungy said. "He's just an intense guy out there. I wouldn't describe it any way other than what it is."

 

[Cajuncowboy]

I heard that sound as well but knew immediately was a broadcast issue. I am in radio and I know some time when you have a bad feedback that can be the result. The reverb is off or something. It's not all that uncommon but it can sound odd. Unfortunately for the Patriots, even if this was something the Colts did, it doesn't excuse the blatant cheating they have done.

Nice try pats fans but, you struck out again defending a bunch of cheaters. Enjoy you season, such as it is.


***********************


I see these in their future.

 

[CowboyJeff]

It takes a cheater to spot a cheater.

 

[Cochese]

AUDIO GLITCH CAUSED BY CBS USING FAKE CROWD NOISE?

CBS has taken the blame for the skipping sound in the crowd noise early in the fourth quarter of Sunday's Pats-Colts game. Some folks believe that the audio glitch was a direct result of attempts by CBS to add crowd noises to the broadcast.

The audio of the incident is right here.

As Chris Mortensen of ESPN mentioned during Monday NFL Countdown prior to the Ravens-Steelers game, some networks have been known to enhance their productions by adding their own canned crowd noise.

We've heard from several sound experts over the past day, and our research confirms that one of them is actually a big wheel in the music and television industry. Here's what said unnamed sound expert had to say about the phenomenon, without prompting:

"The sound was a glitch a digital playback machine, which was providing additional crowd noise to be piped into the broadcast to cover for the crowd's quiet spots, or to enhance the 'up' feeling on a big play. Multiple types of demeanor or 'feels' are available to be triggered, to properly match the game's mood. It does not replace the live crowd, but is used for enhancement. The machine (computer, actually) had a brain fart. It happens."

The problem, as the source pointed out, is that CBS doesn't want to admit that it essentially does in our living rooms what the Colts have been accused of doing at the stadium -- artificially manipulating the live sound.

Still, there are questions as to whether the odd sound effect could be heard in the stadium. Several readers have raised the possibility of checking the radio broadcasts of the game. The fact that the audio of the radio broadcast isn't already saturating the Internet tells us that the phenomenon probably can't be heard in the radio feed. (Still, a reader says that comedian Lenny Clark, who was at the game, insisted this morning on WEEI radio in Boston that he heard the vibrating crowd noise while at the game.)

Our source is nevertheless convinced that the sound could be heard only on television.

"Here's how you can tell it was broadcast only and not in the stadium," the source said. "If you listen closely, there is zero ambience (echo/reverb) on the glitch. It's tight and present, like a skipping CD. If that audio glitched and was in the stadium PA, the repeats would be smeared and much less distinct. The repeat would have it's own echo and ambient sound. It does not. So it was not. For sure. It happened in the broadcast truck. And the dude at the audio console was freaking out, I'll guarantee you. Been there, done that. Not fun."

So it looks like the Colts aren't cheating. Apparently, CBS is.