Who is in charge of the gameday audio production?

[Salvi's Headband]

How do you we make our voices heard about the absolutely miserable gameday experience? Why is the athletic department torturing its own fans? Who can we convince that it needs to change? It's getting ridiculous. Even opposing fans that visit our stadium talk about it.

 

[Sweet Peas Corner]

I got a survey about game day experience and gave my opinion of that.

 

[tico brown]

How do you we make our voices heard about the absolutely miserable gameday experience? Why is the athletic department torturing its own fans? Who can we convince that it needs to change? It's getting ridiculous. Even opposing fans that visit our stadium talk about it.

Nobody in the Rutgers Athletic Department, Public Relations, or any other Survey Department gives a rats ass about what the public thinks on its operations. It’s probably been the number 2 or 3 complaint on these boards and those surveys after long lines and food running out for YEARS.

It has not gotten better but it has gotten worse. You don’t hear that crap at 80% of other college games so it’s a Rutgers Thing. I’ve given up on hoping they would calm TF down with that crap.

 

[MURF87]

Brought a friend to the Minny game and warned him ahead of time about the ear-splitting sound system. It was his first time going to an RU game. By the middle of the first quarter he commented that at first he didn't believe me, but that he was now convinced i was right and that it was incredibly annoying.

 

[bac2therac]

they need to be canned

 

[mildone]

I had other reasons to have to stop going to games. But even without those, I would've quit getting season tix a couple years back due to the ridiculously loud stadium sound. It was totally out of hand, making it impossible to chat w/people next to me, bombarding us by filling every available moment with way too much sound pressure (too high volume).

Basically, it took away the pleasantness of watching the games and made it an unpleasant experience, win or lose.

The volume won't be the same everywhere in the stadium, obviously. And some people seem more tolerant of the impacts of sound pressure than others. But in general, there are a bunch of negative psychological and even physical effects from exposure to overly loud sounds (search the web for "negative effects of excessive sound pressure").

For those who aren't bothered by it, students or whomever you are, great. But you also won't be bothered by lowering levels to a point where it's not making it impossible to chat w/out screaming at the person next to you. Or by giving breaks to everyone by allowing some moments between plays to go w/out filling it with artificial sounds - letting the natural sounds of the stadium (crowd noise, the marching band, etc.) be heard instead.

I've been playing drums my whole life. Played in several bands at very high volume, etc. I still listen to music at very loud levels while home or out driving. I'm not some ancient "the music in my day didn't have to be loud to be good" type. I really enjoy very loud music.

But when so many people have complained about it and some cancel season tix due to it, maybe the admin should admit there's a problem and correct it. I'm not saying stop playing canned music, not saying I don't like the style of music. Just saying back it off some and give people some breaks without it.

How fvcking hard is that?

 

[Xpatrick]

Looks like this is the guy. His contact info is in his bio.

PJ Mullen - Senior Associate Athletic Director of Marketing, Game Presentation & Fan Experience - Staff Directory - Rutgers University Athletics

PJ Mullen joined Rutgers Athletics in the summer of 2021 as the Assistant Athletic Director of Marketing and Game Presentation. He is the primary marketing contact

scarletknights.com

 

[DJ Spanky]

We've been complaining about this in the fan survey for a couple of years now. They don't change anything.

 

[JayDogSmooth]

I will never advocate for anyone to lose their job, but the game day production at the stadium is absolutely atrocious, and borders on embarrassing

There’s no flow, the scoreboard is entirely too loud, and there’s literally music or some kind of other nonsense playing every single moment of the game

It takes the joy out of watching the game and is literally ear piercing

I have no idea who greenlighted this or who thinks it’s a good idea, but if somebody from Rutgers is reading this, it is absolute trash on every measurable level and is ruining the game experience for many people

The train horn is also a little league, and needs to go

Additionally, the same game day production garbage we are exposed to at the stadium now permeated the Rac, and is ruining that awesome atmosphere as well

For Christ sake, let the ****ing band play and stop with the Ozzy Osbourne, constant music nonsense.

It is not a ****ing rap concert and nobody in the right mind wants to hear this shit.

Older fans who are donating money (myself, and many others) do not like it, and the younger fans do not give a shit either way

Please, for the love of God, stop with the nonsense or seek other employment

You are ruining the game day experience for many people, and it is well past time for the bullshit to stop

 

[bac2therac]

its no coindicence the experience at the rac and at the stadium has gone downhill in the seasons that he has been hired.

yeah the boardwalk is great and the winter carnival has well...those are great ideas by PJ but when are they going to stop forcing incessent noise on us

make it stop

 

[Knight Shift]

I got a survey about game day experience and gave my opinion of that.

Ditto.

We've been complaining about this in the fan survey for a couple of years now. They don't change anything.

Yep. Loudly, paragraphs. In ALLCAPS. They can't hear me over Ozzy laughing, they are all aboard the Crazy Train

its no coindicence the experience at the rac and at the stadium has gone downhill in the seasons that he has been hired.

yeah the boardwalk is great and the winter carnival has well...those are great ideas by PJ but when are they going to stop forcing incessent noise on us

make it stop

May be wrong, but thought someone said PJ was handpicked by Greg. PJ is probably another guy who thinks he is the smartest guy in the room and will never change or admit to a mistake.

 

[HeywoodGiant]

How do you we make our voices heard about the absolutely miserable gameday experience? Why is the athletic department torturing its own fans? Who can we convince that it needs to change? It's getting ridiculous. Even opposing fans that visit our stadium talk about it.

do you ever do anything other than complain?

 

[bac2therac]

Ditto.

Yep. Loudly, paragraphs. In ALLCAPS. They can't hear me over Ozzy laughing, they are all aboard the Crazy Train

May be wrong, but thought someone said PJ was handpicked by Greg. PJ is probably another guy who thinks he is the smartest guy in the room and will never change or admit to a mistake.

thats what i am thinking...didnt greg manage the urinal cakes in the restrooms, I have no doubt he has carte blance over everything gameday and now it bleeds into the rac..just wait until 200 seats in the student section are given up to recruits who want $$$ over actual rutgers students who cheer.

 

[bac2therac]

also how did everyone enjoy the Wicked promo...how much $$$ did the Big 10 rake in for that one, I bet they did one for each school promoting that god awful looking movie that i wouldnt go to see if you paid me $100

 

[jaydogsmooth1]

Ditto.

Yep. Loudly, paragraphs. In ALLCAPS. They can't hear me over Ozzy laughing, they are all aboard the Crazy Train

May be wrong, but thought someone said PJ was handpicked by Greg. PJ is probably another guy who thinks he is the smartest guy in the room and will never change or admit to a mistake.

If true, why the hell does Greg have any say over this?

He's making 7 mil/year to coach, and win, football games
Not determine who's hired for gameday operations

 

[DJ Spanky]

also how did everyone enjoy the Wicked promo...how much $$$ did the Big 10 rake in for that one, I bet they did one for each school promoting that god awful looking movie that i wouldnt go to see if you paid me $100

Yeah, that was really lame: just for that I'm not gonna see it!

 

[megadrone]

Nobody in the Rutgers Athletic Department, Public Relations, or any other Survey Department gives a rats ass about what the public thinks on its operations. It’s probably been the number 2 or 3 complaint on these boards and those surveys after long lines and food running out for YEARS.

It has not gotten better but it has gotten worse. You don’t hear that crap at 80% of other college games so it’s a Rutgers Thing. I’ve given up on hoping they would calm TF down with that crap.

I've gone to games at State Penn -- they do it as well but no train whistle. Really stinks.

 

[bac2therac]

Yeah, that was really lame: just for that I'm not gonna see it!

so its Universal who made Wicked and its subsidiaries own Peacock so now we get movie commericals, it never ends

 

[29PAS]

I complained to Mullen a couple of years ago when they played “Sweet Caroline” at games. Besides hating that song, which I verbalized, I also asked why he would play songs our opponents played. He didn’t reply that he didn’t give a crap about my complaint but the tone suggested to me that he didn’t give a crap.

 

[NotInRHouse]

They dropped the horn on 3rd down a few weeks ago, why did it come back?

 

[kupuna133]

I've gone to games at State Penn -- they do it as well but no train whistle. Really stinks.

Where do you think PJ came from? He even brought the lion roar and thought it was cool to play at our game multiple times.

 

[RU#1fan]

If true, why the hell does Greg have any say over this?

He's making 7 mil/year to coach, and win, football games
Not determine who's hired for gameday operations

And not doing a very good job at that in Year 5.
Maybe he better off in the position of Head of game day operations.

 

[JayDogSmooth]

And not doing a very good job at that in Year 5.
Maybe he better off in the position of Head of game day operations.

Surely he can’t be any worse than the clown in charge who’s running a little league game day production operation at a major division one football program in the Big Ten

 

[Salvi's Headband]

do you ever do anything other than complain?

Yes. I actually don't complain a lot?

 

[tico brown]

They dropped the horn on 3rd down a few weeks ago, why did it come back?

To give fans false hope.

And they figured the fan base recovered from the tinnitus so they brought it back.

 

[tico brown]

Where do you think PJ came from? He even brought the lion roar and thought it was cool to play at our game multiple times.

Seriously that should’ve been a fireable offense.

Just as stupid as play a Hawk/Owl sound…
Or a train horn. Oh wait…

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

Don't we use noise as a legal form of torture?

Wiki: Music in psychological operations

someone start a class action suit.. that will get attention.

That is only half-joking. Rutgers has these incentive systems for long term season tickets and donations renewals to assure you keep your seating.. but nowhere does it say they reserve the right to torture you in teh future with constant excessive decibels of electronically generated noise at games. One can safely assume cheers of the crowd and a large marching band at college football games.. but speakers as loud as rock concerts?

 

[mildone]

Don't we use noise as a legal form of torture?

Wiki: Music in psychological operations

someone start a class action suit.. that will get attention.

There are definitely negative effects at the sound levels they're using.

A class action suit might be so obviously unwinnable that they won't care, although perhaps it would be enough get some attention. If we only knew a lawyer here on the forums who could draft one up, I'm not mentioning any names. @Knight Shift

In my experience, complaints about a bunch of little things that are personal preference oriented (for example, which songs get played or not played) are very unlikely to be addressed. There will always be broad disagreement about such stuff.

However, a short, simple, reasonably-toned letter or email about the overly high volume and unrelenting nature of the audio in the stadium (and the RAC) might work. Also, if people have connections within the media, getting the issue (again, just volume and lack of any quiet moments) out there beyond this forum would probably help as well.

Perhaps an email copied to a variety of interested parties in the RU hierarchy. Probably wouldn't hurt to mention that people are discussing a class action suit. That might pique a bit of interest.

Again, lowering the volume and giving the fans some breaks of relative quiet is an extremely reasonable ask. Adding all the other personal choice stuff just clouds the matter, even if it drives people nuts. If the volume is lowered and there are breaks, it'll be lots easier to tolerate music or sound-effects people don't like.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

There are definitely negative effects at the sound levels they're using.

A class action suit might be so obviously unwinnable that they won't care, although perhaps it would be enough get some attention. If we only knew a lawyer here on the forums who could draft one up, I'm not mentioning any names. @Knight Shift

In my experience, complaints about a bunch of little things that are personal preference oriented (for example, which songs get played or not played) are very unlikely to be addressed. There will always be broad disagreement about such stuff.

However, a short, simple, reasonably-toned letter or email about the overly high volume and unrelenting nature of the audio in the stadium (and the RAC) might work. Also, if people have connections within the media, getting the issue (again, just volume and lack of any quiet moments) out there beyond this forum would probably help as well.

Perhaps an email copied to a variety of interested parties in the RU hierarchy. Probably wouldn't hurt to mention that people are discussing a class action suit. That might pique a bit of interest.

Again, lowering the volume and giving the fans some breaks of relative quiet is an extremely reasonable ask. Adding all the other personal choice stuff just clouds the matter, even if it drives people nuts. If the volume is lowered and there are breaks, it'll be lots easier to tolerate music or sound-effects people don't like.

I'd bet (small amount) that there is someone on teh Rutgers faculty somewhere that is currently studying the effects of loud music/noise on human brains and ears and psyche.

Now.. imagine using Rutgers own research in a nuisance suit against Rutgers in order to get them to do something to please the vast bulk of their customers and athletic donors.

They'd be stupid to not immediately cave to pressure and do the right thing.

 

[Colonel HR]

I loved when they played "MAKE SOME NOIIIISSSE" followed by Ozzy laughing, seconds after we were called for a roughing the kicker penalty that gave Illinois a first down. WTF

 

[Joey Bacala]

JMA is the same thing. Literally impossible to have a conversation during stoppages with the ear-bleeding volume.

 

[RUSCREW76]

Been going to games for 12 years but my family and I will no longer be attending due to this exact reason. Being in that stadium is like hell on earth sometimes.

 

[ScarletKid2008]

Even on television our stadium experience sounded annoying. The abuse and laying on the train horn has gotta stop . Sounds awful. And the stupid sound bite “make some noise” guy followed the ozzy .. Is awful.

Use the band more … a lot more

Leave some white space and just use the video board maybe with no sound. Wild thing.

When I was in LA …
Went to the Rams game and the RU at usc game

Sofi was like stimulation overload . Constant piped in sound. Gimmicks . Corny stuff in the name of “entertainment”

USC had the band playing 75% +. Felt like a more enjoyable atmosphere. Filled with tradition

 

[RAHWAYBOB]

Even on television our stadium experience sounded annoying. The abuse and laying on the train horn has gotta stop . Sounds awful. And the stupid sound bite “make some noise” guy followed the ozzy .. Is awful.

Use the band more … a lot more

Leave some white space and just use the video board maybe with no sound. Wild thing.

When I was in LA …
Went to the Rams game and the RU at usc game

Sofi was like stimulation overload . Constant piped in sound. Gimmicks . Corny stuff in the name of “entertainment”

USC had the band playing 75% +. Felt like a more enjoyable atmosphere. Filled with tradition

I also saw a game at SoFi as well as the RU at USC game. I totally agree with you!!

 

[RU#1fan]

Been going to games for 12 years but my family and I will no longer be attending due to this exact reason. Being in that stadium is like hell on earth sometimes.

The idiots who run the game day operations are driving away loyal supporters who have been spending $ on season tickets, renewal fees, donations, concessions, etc. BRILLIANT
No worries the students like it.

 

[newell138]

i usually only attend 1-2 games a year but when I do its to meet up with some other RU friends who may or may not live in the area, a few usually travel pretty far to attend, we use it as a sort of reunion. We were all at the Washington game and it was pretty ridiculous not being able to talk to the person right next to me who I only see 1-2 times a year.

 

[RW90]

Pure speculation here, but is there any chance Greg voluntold SHI PA staff to pipe in music at an ear piercing level to stifle the opponent offenses? He's been known to micromanage everything else so I wouldn't put it past him.

 

[JayDogSmooth]

Pure speculation here, but is there any chance Greg voluntold SHI PA staff to pipe in music at an ear piercing level to stifle the opponent offenses? He's been known to micromanage everything else so I wouldn't put it past him.

Again, if there’s any miniscule bit of truth to this, why the hell is he being permitted to dictate that type of stuff?

 

[RW90]

Again, if there’s any miniscule bit of truth to this, why the hell is he being permitted to dictate that type of stuff?

However, given the fact that game day experience at Jersey Mike's is becoming very SHI-like with all its incessant piped in music and same song riffs may make this thought moot.

 

[JayDogSmooth]

However, given the fact that game day experience at Jersey Mike's is becoming very SHI-like with all its incessant piped in music may make this thought moot.

I hope there’s no truth to it, the head football coach should have nothing to do with this type of operation