Rob Gronkowski: Superdome’s artificial noise can’t compare to Bucs' ‘obnoxious’ simulation

TAMPA — Bucs tight end Rob Gronkowski doesn’t believe any crowd noise pumped into the Superdome on Sunday will affect them as they open the season against the Saints.

Gronkowski said the Bucs already have heard worse.

With no fans in the stands in New Orleans and teams allowed to pump in up to 85 decibels of crowd noise, the Bucs tried to simulate that atmosphere during two practices at Raymond James Stadium.

Gronk said the noise was unbearable.

“I really don’t think it will affect us in New Orleans, because I can tell you this,” Gronkowski said. "When we’re in the stadium with our practices, Coach put (on) the most brutal, annoying noise sounds he can possibly put on. I think I started going insane. And it was very obnoxious the whole entire time. I can’t see it being any worse in New Orleans.”

Asked to describe the sound, Gronkowski had an interesting comparison.

“You know, like, when your TV’s on and it goes to the black and white screen, it’s like all these little dots and it’s like fizzing all over the place and it’s like, ‘Rrrrrr?’ he said. “That’s the sound that he put up in the stadium when we were in there.”

Contact Eduardo A. Encina at eencina@tampabay.com. Follow @EddieInTheYard.