A group of more than 125 Indiana Fever fans are sounding off about the sound coming from one vocal fan for Caitlin Clark and company, and they’ve launched a petition requesting the team fix the problem.
Josh McNattin, the petition starter at change.org, wrote about ‘a distinct and persistent voice — believed to be from a fan seated close to the scorer’s table,’ disrupting Fever television broadcasts when they play at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. He noted this ‘in-arena audio mix’ issues are well known enough to have inspired discussions on Reddit and WNBA fan forums, and he believes people have heard enough.
‘While we celebrate the passion of all fans, this particular sound consistently overpowers other audio elements, including the commentary and ambient crowd noise,’ McNattin wrote. ‘As a result, it can detract from the viewing experience for many fans watching from home or streaming online.’
‘The consensus is not a criticism of any individual fan’s enthusiasm,’ McNattin added, ‘but rather a call for an audio solution that preserves the game’s energy while ensuring a balanced broadcast mix.’
As of 1:45 p.m. ET on Friday, June 27, the change.org petition had 127 signatures. There are multiple Reddit threads and hundreds of comments.
‘Is this the woman that sounds like a dolphin? Because that IS super annoying,’ wrote Reddit user idahomokate in a thread created in response to the IndyStar story about the petition. The comment had generated 248 upvotes.
Pacers Sports & Entertainment owns the Fever and did not respond to the IndyStar, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.
The attention paid to the Fever’s games, and their television broadcasts, has risen exponentially since Clark joined the WNBA last season. Clark’s presence has generated record ratings when she plays for the Fever. She did not appear in the team’s 85-75 road loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday, June 26 due to a groin injury.
Indiana’s next home game is Thursday, July 3 against the Las Vegas Aces. McNattin, through his petition, is hopeful the Fever will hear his group’s call for help.
‘We know that Fever management is committed to providing a high-quality experience for both in-person and remote fans,’ McNattin wrote. ‘Your attention to this matter would mean a great deal to those of us who love watching Fever games and supporting the WNBA.’