Mavs Get Loud

Basketball games are giving concerts a run for their money these days when it comes time to make some noise.

A recent New York Times examination of the Dallas Mavericks found that the dial regularly gets turned to 11 at games, and sound production has become an integral part of the experience.

The Mavs’ home, American Airlines Center, sports more than 60 speakers around the seating bowl that thunder out music and sound effects, the Times reported. The arena also apparently makes use of something called assisted resonance, with microphones in the backboards and sound devices dangling above the crowd to redirect sounds from the court up to the stands.

The Mavs have received complaints about noise levels, the paper said, as decibel levels routinely fall between 90 (the sound of a power mower) and 110 (the sound of a concert). But while the Occupational Health and Safety Administration might consider extended exposure to the higher decibel levels on the spectrum dangerous, fans seem to dig the noise.

“It’s way better than old school – everyone’s getting into the game,” a season ticketholder told the Times. “It’s a new era, a new age – why not leverage the technology that’s here today? It’s never too loud. If you don’t like it, watch the game at home.”