Okay, I'm bored as hell at work today and I've wanted to make this thread ever since the Oakland series, so here we go.

Oakland is a noisy ballpark. It seems to annoy a lot of folks from what I read on the game threads, but it also appears to be a fun way for fans to engage with the game while at the game. I must admit, I envy the baseball traditions that Latin American countries have. They are loud and boisterous at baseball games, where most North Americans are quiet, boring and only make noise if something good happens or if the JumboTron tells them to. 

When I'm getting my buzz on at the ballpark, or any sporting event, I want to make noise. Personally, I'd find a great deal of fun with taking my saxophone to the game and using it to get the team and the crowd going. I wish we had more of a communal mindset in North America when we go to sporting events. They are meant to be a fun thing to do, and your favorite team is not going to win 100% of the time, so having that fallback of "Well my team lost, but I still had a blast because of all the fun we had in the crowd" would be amazing. 

Last year, I went to the Bears/Jets game and had an absolute blast. Not only because they won, but because it is expected that the fans are noisy when the opposing team is on defense. This creates a fun atmosphere, for me at least. As fun as that was, I made my way to the Blackhawks game that same evening and tried to bring that same kind of energy (I was also plastered), and basically got told to shut up by other fans. What a disappointment! I'm sorry, I'm not going to wait until playoff games to make noise for my favorite hockey team.

My question for you is, if the Sox came out and said "We are okay with fans bringing musical instruments or noisy things to the ballpark", how would you feel about it? Would you just be annoyed with it? Am I more of an anomaly than anything else? Oaklands crowds, albeit small, seem to enjoy having that around which suggests that there would indeed be a decently sized subset of fans that would enjoy it here. If this were to occur, and you aren't a fan of it, would you be more likely to complain to the Sox about it, or simply tolerate it?

Edited August 9, 20196 yr by South Sider

The Saxophone sounds like a fun idea. 

But to be honest with you, if the atmosphere was consistently like I was hearing over the TV at Oakland I would probably not go.  That would be headache inducing for me.

 

Yeah, no on the sax. 

I dunno "specifically" about a saxophone. But, I just caught a Dodgers game @ Dodger Stadium. And, I forgot how much fun a full stadium, with engaged/involved fans was really like. It would be fun to have that kind of atmosphere @ the rate, but alas, it seems we're light years away from that.

But insofar as encouraging fan chants, musical instruments, & the like, i think Id be ok with that.

On 8/9/2019 at 9:40 AM, South Sider said:

Okay, I'm bored as hell at work today and I've wanted to make this thread ever since the Oakland series, so here we go.

Oakland is a noisy ballpark. It seems to annoy a lot of folks from what I read on the game threads, but it also appears to be a fun way for fans to engage with the game while at the game. I must admit, I envy the baseball traditions that Latin American countries have. They are loud and boisterous at baseball games, where most North Americans are quiet, boring and only make noise if something good happens or if the JumboTron tells them to. 

When I'm getting my buzz on at the ballpark, or any sporting event, I want to make noise. Personally, I'd find a great deal of fun with taking my saxophone to the game and using it to get the team and the crowd going. I wish we had more of a communal mindset in North America when we go to sporting events. They are meant to be a fun thing to do, and your favorite team is not going to win 100% of the time, so having that fallback of "Well my team lost, but I still had a blast because of all the fun we had in the crowd" would be amazing. 

Last year, I went to the Bears/Jets game and had an absolute blast. Not only because they won, but because it is expected that the fans are noisy when the opposing team is on defense. This creates a fun atmosphere, for me at least. As fun as that was, I made my way to the Blackhawks game that same evening and tried to bring that same kind of energy (I was also plastered), and basically got told to shut up by other fans. What a disappointment! I'm sorry, I'm not going to wait until playoff games to make noise for my favorite hockey team.

My question for you is, if the Sox came out and said "We are okay with fans bringing musical instruments or noisy things to the ballpark", how would you feel about it? Would you just be annoyed with it? Am I more of an anomaly than anything else? Oaklands crowds, albeit small, seem to enjoy having that around which suggests that there would indeed be a decently sized subset of fans that would enjoy it here. If this were to occur, and you aren't a fan of it, would you be more likely to complain to the Sox about it, or simply tolerate it?

On Friday, the oakland fand were many and louder than the Sox fans. I don't know if it would've been different had the score not been so lopsided, but if I were playing for Oakland I'd be very happy to have such a loyal fanbase, hearing my name being cheered for in other cities, especially ones as far away as Chicago.

The fans were noisy, but it wasn't annoying at all, just showing their loyalty and enthusiasm for their team.

The only thing that is going to turn our park lively again is winning. Not drums, not chants. Winning. The rest will follow.

I find it annoying when people go to sporting events and make noise just for the sake of making noise

Get loud and get rowdy when something good is happening.  Yell at the opposing teams pitcher or hitters all you want.  But to make noise for essentially the sake of making yourself the show and not the game, is distracting and an annoyance.  

If you brought a saxophone to a game, I'd think you were a douche trying to garner attention.  

Edited August 10, 20196 yr by ChiSox1917

Live? Give me some beer and im good.

Tv? Not a fan

Wasn't there a thing some time ago where some fans tried to organize themselves like they do at soccer games at one of the sections of the Cell?

Can you imagine being the guy sitting in front of someone with a sax? You might get permanent ear damage. Otherwise I'm all for more boisterous crowds. On the same note with latin american countries - I've always thought it would be fun to see a Pearl Jam show down in Brazil or Argentina. The crowds just get so much more in to the shows than they do up here.

What do u think of this piece on our home stadium? Man the food sounds so good in that piece. If you went to 20 games a year and ate different main courses each time ... yum.

https://stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/guaranteed-rate-field-s6/

I'm all for sax night, but wonder how it would work with the metal detectors.

Hockey moves too fast to have noisemakers. Those fans are literally trying to watch the game. 

 

Baseball? It could use a lil more excitement. 

Tampa Rays have some guy who comes to every game with some kind of horn.  Everyone around him loves it.