On-Field Sounds; Let's Get Back to Pads Popping

[Senator Palmer]

The one thing that I have always loved about football at any level is the sound of pads popping; that flat, packing sound that plastic makes when crashed into one another as warfare is waged in the trenches. It's one of the things that brings us deeper into the game on a purely visceral level as we watch from the comfortable distance of our couches. One of the great things the NFL did to accomplish this was put parabolic microphones on the sidelines.

Take a peek over Hasselbeck's left shoulder.



I think it's time for Madden to totally nix the artificial sounds they've put in this gen and get back to the old fashioned natural sounds of grunts and, groans, and the quick, simple thump that the ball makes when it hits a receiver's hands. To their credit, they did get rid of that annoying cannon sound that you'd hear in '08 whenever you connected on a deep pass. Madden 11 was an definite improvement:

Small sample...



But let's go all the way. The sounds at the beginning of each play; the ball being snapped, and the initial collision of the offensive and defensive line should be re-done. And it doesn't have to be overly showy. Listen to the way the Falcons o-line comes off the ball:

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-air-an...WK-17-Michael-

The sounds are subtle when mixed in with the rest of the stadium, but they are noticeable and they connect you on a subconscious level with the physicality of the game.

Oh, and when we lay a big hit, let's hear this:



or this...



not this...

[timbeau0805]

Co-signed, completely.

[RedZoneD25]

I like this. I just wonder if this falls under something the NFL wants to avoid with the concussion thing.

[roadman]

I like it too, but the NFL won't allow shoulder popping hitting.

[over9000yards]

Problem is both the real-life hits you showed were obvious helmet-to-helmet from previous seasons. You want to look at a big hit, look at the clean big hit that Ray Lewis layed on Dustin Keller of the NYJ in week 1.

[Senator Palmer]

Quote: Originally Posted by over9000yards

Problem is both the real-life hits you showed were obvious helmet-to-helmet from previous seasons. You want to look at a big hit, look at the clean big hit that Ray Lewis layed on Dustin Keller of the NYJ in week 1.

The Ray Lewis hit is legal anywhere. Hall turned the ball upfield and put his head down. He wasn't defenseless at all.

And I was actually referring more to the sounds of the game. Right now the on-field action is too artificial. There is an audible difference between the on-field collisions you hear in Madden and the collisions you hear on Sunday.

[over9000yards]

Well yeah, I agree with you on the part about the hits sounding different.

Where I'm coming from is that a big helmet-to-helmet hit, might sound different than a big hit that is legal. I'm not sure, haven't done any research on it. Just a thought.

[Senator Palmer]

Quote: Originally Posted by WTFitsDaveyJ

I like this. I just wonder if this falls under something the NFL wants to avoid with the concussion thing.

I was wondering about this also. I know that they have to submit every celebration to the NFL for approval, and there have been some cool ones in the past that have been nixed. I imagine it's similar with on-field action, but I hope that process wouldn't effect how organic the audio is. These are the sounds the NFL has worked to give us every Sunday on our TV, I hope the Goddell Commission wouldn't hate on the video game for doing the same thing.