Field Pass with Rich Retyi: Wisconsin
11/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dana White's First College Football Game
Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White was on the sideline for his first-ever college football game. He was in the area for UFC 123, held later in the night at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
"What a great game to be my first," says White, waving at fans who shout his name from the stands. "I'm standing on the sideline and it's a beautiful day outside -- this is incredible."
"A lot of athletes are cross-training in mixed martial arts these days," White continues. "I see Big Baby and Shaq working out in Boston all the time."
As for tonight's UFC event, White has high expectations.
"I always want the main event to be a great fight," says White, "but I'm really excited for the Joe Lauzon-George Sotiropoulos fight."
Just How Loud is the Big House?
Sound is a big deal at the Big House. A group comprised of University of Michigan faculty and a group of German specialists conducted a comprehensive in-game study of sound inside Michigan Stadium. Led by U-M Associate Professor of Architecture and acoustic researcher Mojataba Navvab, the group used a set of three devices to measure decibel levels aided by the newly installed suites.
"We helped design the sky boxes to increase crowd noise," says Mojataba, busily working on the sideline. "We modeled the stadium on computers and now we want to accurately measure how the sky boxes contribute to sound. We'll use this information for future projects and to share in the industry. This field of research is becoming very important in the NFL and in sports like baseball, where the crack of the bat is important to defensive players."
Mojataba's crew employed a portable sensor, a directional sensor and an acoustic camera in their work.
"The acoustic camera works like the movie Predator," says Mojataba. "Like the Predator's heat vision, our camera maps the stadium and locates hot spots where the decibel level is greatest."
Joined by Gunnar Heilman and Ralf Schroder from gfai tech in Berlin and assisted by Dennis Sulisz and Dr. Ted Hall, the group hopes to use the data to compile a full report on just how loud the Big House can get.
Decibel Levels on a Budget
Lacking a Predator helmet, I borrowed a decibel meter and walked around Michigan Stadium to take my own readings during Saturday's game.
Here's a universal decibel range for reference:
-80db - Shrimp chewing on food from 100 yards away
10db - Absolute silence
40db - A whisper
60db - A normal conversation
85db - The beginning of hearing damage
100db - Normal house stereo at maximum volume
120-130db - Front row at an average rock concert
145db - Human vision begins to blur
163db - Glass breaking level
175db - Stick of dynamite
212db - Sonic boom
Levels from Michigan Stadium:
55db - The press box after food is served at halftime
69db - Michigan's offensive line scrum on the bench
72db - Michigan's defensive line scrum on the bench
75db - Jim Brandstatter and Frank Beckmann singing along with the national anthem from the press box
93db - The crowd singing the "Born and raised in South Detroit" line from Journey's "Don't Stop Believing"
96-106db - Select Wisconsin third-down plays
99db - The Michigan Marching Band playing "Let's Go Blue" from the stands
108db - Roy Roundtree scores at 6:08 in the fourth quarter
118db - Denard Robinson scores in the third quarter
Michigan Making Fans out of the Rock
Slippery Rock University football players and administrators were on hand at the Big House for special recognition in the first quarter. The Michigan and Slippery Rock connection is well documented (Story) and members of the football team like senior captain Brandon Fusco are in awe of the Maize and Blue appreciation.
"When I was recruited the coaches mentioned Slippery Rock's ties to Michigan," says Fusco, a center for the Rock. "But to have more than 100,000 people cheer for you during the game, that's amazing."
Fusco and his mates were aware that their scores were flashed in Michigan Stadium each home Saturday, but he didn't quite believe it until he saw it with his own eyes.
"They love us here," Fuscos says. "It's amazing. I didn't have a favorite football team before, but I think I'm a Wolverine fan now."
