INDIANAPOLIS — When NFL team owners voted 21-7 to implement a new rule that would regulate noise at NFL games in March 1989, they probably had no idea of the uproar that would follow, especially from Colts fans inside the Hoosier Dome.
The rule called for a penalty to be levied against a home team if excessive crowd noise disrupted the visiting team’s play. However, fans would be warned by officials before any penalties were assessed. But if the excessive noise persisted, the home team would begin to lose timeouts. Once all timeouts were revoked, 5-yard penalties would then be assessed.
Colts fans came out screaming against the rule during a preseason game against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 2, 1989.
With 4:37 to go in the third quarter, Broncos quarterback Gary Kubiak made repeated pleas to officials to quell the fans inside the Hoosier Dome. The Colts were eventually penalized with the revocation of three timeouts and yardage.
Fans were none too pleased. Neither was Colts owner Bob Irsay.
“I admire the people in the stands,” Bob Irsay said. “I think it’s wrong. I think it’s a problem. But don’t forget, the fans do pay 'X' dollars to come into the stadium. They have a right to cheer and boo.”
Colts general manager Jim Irsay echoed his father’s sentiment.
“I think everyone can come in there and yell as loud as they want,” Jim Irsay said. “The key thing is just when they break their huddle [and] when they snap the ball, I think we have to have a reasonable level [of noise.] It doesn’t have to be as quiet as a mouse, but reasonable.”
Reasoning with diehard Colts fans proved futile. On Sept. 10, 1989, they made their voices heard. The Hoosier Dome was filled with banners and signs lashing out against the “Shhhh rule.”
Here are some of the things fans told WRTV’s Marilyn Lis:
- “I think fans should get as rambunctious as they want to be.”
- “I think it stinks.”
- “Get rid of it!”
- “It’s going to get a lot louder before it’s over with.”
- “Fans pay money to come, yell, [and] have a good time. If you can’t do that, that’s not good for football.”
- “If you play in Green Bay, you’ve got to deal with the weather. If you play in Indianapolis, you’ve got to deal with the noise.”
