The Bundesliga action on Sunday between Mainz and RB Leipzig featured piped-in sound. It was a weird scene, as the stands were clearly empty with no fans in sight. Yet the sounds coming out of the television were ones you’d normally hear during a sold-out match.
Check out the odd juxtaposition of a full-throated crowd cheering and chanting — without anyone in the stands.
On the one hand, you have to hand it to the folks in the sound booth. Exquisite timing and noise change at the point of the foul.
But let’s be honest: That’s just odd.
Personally, I’d much rather get the authentic feel of what’s happening on the pitch than hearing a fake crowd. Let’s hear the players yelling at one another. Let’s hear the communication on the field. That would be much more entertaining than trying to convince yourself everything is totally normal. When clearly, it is not.