Not that I necessarily mind it, but the dull hum of the artificial crowd noise on NESN’s Red Sox broadcasts is a distraction to the point that I catch myself trying to figure out what it actually sounds like.
A concert crowd’s lukewarm response to an unknown opening act? What the ocean is supposed to sound like in a sea shell? What a live ballgame might sound like if one were ordered to listen to it through a tin can and a string?
OK, so I haven’t found the exact comparison yet. I am taking submissions. But I will say this: I do agree with NESN broadcasters Dave O’Brien, Jerry Remy, and Dennis Eckersley that the slightly-off murmur of the crowd is a better option than no noise at all.