When it comes to intimidating venues in the world of sports, it doesn't get much more intense than GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
The longtime home of the Chiefs is widely considered one of the loudest stadiums in the world, and there's evidence to back that up: it holds the Guinness World Record for loudest crowd roar at a sports stadium.
GAMING SURVEY: Complete short survey for chance to win international football shirt of your choice!
Arrowhead always been considered one of the most difficult stadiums to play in for opposing teams. Even the legendary John Elway was overwhelmed by the immense noise during a 1990 game there.
— Reactions (@SportzCIipz) January 20, 2023
Don't expect any referee interventions Sunday when Joe Burrow and the Bengals come to town for a second year in a row to play in the AFC championship game.
In the past, Burrow has played down the impact of the Arrowhead crowd, saying he's used to it after playing two seasons of SEC football at LSU.
"In the SEC, every single week it seems like every stadium is really loud, there's hundreds of thousands of people," he said ahead of the 2022 conference championship. "This one is going to be similar. We expect it to be really loud, we're talking about it throughout the week. We're going to have to be great with our communication, our non-verbal communication, just like every week on the road."
The crowd didn't seem to faze him too much last year — he engineered a second-half comeback and a 27-24 overtime win. Bengals players have even taken to calling the stadium "Burrowhead."
MORE: Bengals players irk Chiefs with 'Burrowhead' Stadium nickname
Burrow may have come out on top last time, but the Chiefs fans will be back on Sunday — and this time, they'll be out for revenge.
How loud does it get at Arrowhead Stadium?
As mentioned above, the venue holds the world record for the loudest crowd roar recorded at a sporting event: 142.2 decibels, set during the first quarter of the Chiefs' game against the Patriots on Sept. 29, 2014.
For context, that's a reading roughly on par with a jet engine taking off 100 yards away, or a shotgun blast from close range.
Chiefs fans held the previous record, too. They hit 137.5 decibels during a game against the Raiders in 2013.
MORE: Three reasons each remaining NFL team can win the Super Bowl
According to Ben Stindt, a project designer who was involved in a recent redesign of the stadium, Arrowhead's distinctive shape is a big reason why it gets so loud.
“It’s an enclosed bowl, no open end zones, no open corners,” he told Kansas City television station KSHB last year. “Everyone has their personal megaphone out here, you got to give credit to the fans."
Those fans will be back on Sunday helping to create what is sure to be another deafening atmosphere.
