Too loud?

Sitting in section 136 (corner of endzone) with my son Jack at his first game at Lambeau Field and our first game as season ticket holders, my watch kept informing me that I was in a loud environment.

Really? I didn’t notice 😉.

From the National Anthem played by the University of Wisconsin Marching Band to the PA announcer encouraging the fans to get loud when the Packers were on defense to Jump Around and Beer Barrel Polka, the stadium was rocking - to the tune of 105 decibels shown on the big screen to 108 measured by my watch - probably from Jack and me following orders to cheer loudly, which resulted in two penalties on the Bears. With a score of 31-7, it certainly didn't hurt the Packers.

But what about our ears?

I looked it up on Google and found:

Risk to Your Hearing

* Safe exposure time: Permanent hearing damage can occur after less than 4 minutes of continuous exposure at this intensity (scaling down rapidly past 100 dB).

* Biological impact: Sound waves this intense physically damage the delicate sensory hair cells in your inner ear (the cochlea). Once these hair cells die, they do not grow back, which can lead to permanent hearing loss or tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

* Pain threshold: While physical pain in the ear usually starts around 120 dB, 108 dB is well into the danger zone where no-protection exposure should be strictly limited.

(You can check other sources too: Mayo Clinic for example)

Pretty scary stuff when you think about it!

It reminded me how my dad used to try to convince his coworkers in the paper mill to wear hearing protection by asking them to think about a situation where there child or grandchild needed help in the future - if you can’t hear, you may not be able to help.

That being said, I wouldn’t change anything about Jack’s first visit to Lambeau Field. I just learned a lesson for next time.

So what can I do, or what can you do, when facing a similar experience?  Bring a pair of earplugs to your next sporting event or concert.  3M even offers versions specially designed for concerts or events.

And for my motivation, it’s not just my hearing but my son's

Learn in the flow of life

Jason Grom

PS: Dodger Fans, please be very quiet when the Brewers visit your stadium in the NLCS...and same to all opponents of the Badgers and Packers...you will save $ on earplugs!