Fans of the Philadelphia Flyers developed quite a reputation as some of the most brutal in all of American sports. (I make sure to mention “American,” since soccer hooligans will sometimes ... you know, kill people and stuff.)
But there’s one area where - at least compared to Chicago Blackhawks fans - they fall short: noise. After two games in Chicago and two games in Philadelphia, NHL.com’s studies show that the deep dish crowd beat the cheesesteak crew.
While Chicago’s highest levels were 121 dB and 122 dB, Philadelphia’s peaks were 114 dB in Game 3 and 118 dB in Game 4. The loudest moment of Game 4 came when Jeff Carter scored the game-sealing empty net goal, driving fans into a frenzy that sounded like a shotgun.
Now, there is one big factor to remember: Chicago’s United Center is even bigger than Philadelphia’s Wachovia Center. While you can make “quality over quantity” arguments day and night, the more screaming fans you have the higher decibel rates you’re likely to achieve. And, as I pointed out in the last look at the competing noise-makers, both fan bases create noise that can cause some genuine damage (or at least discomfort) to your ears. So there’s no shame in “losing” this contest.
Either way, this is a clash of two passionate groups in some of hockey’s best American markets. The series might be tied 2-2, but so far, Blackhawks fans won at least one “battle.”