Agree that for basketball (and hockey for that matter), games at the Old Chicago Stadium were ear-splittingly loud. Can confirm ear ringing for more than a day after going to one of those games. However, I'd say that isn't necessarily in the spirit of this thread as while the fans were indeed great, it was the stadium itself that led to such high decibels.
It was a unique combination of great old arena together with fans that were absolutely in to the games and who poured their hearts and passion into it. Another example of fans at that high intensity level was the 1977 Chicago White Sox 'South Side Hit Men'. The Sox have always had a passionate fan base but one that is usually disappointed by the team's performance.
In the 1950s and 1960s the Sox were really good. They were in contentition in most all of those years. They won the AL Pennent in 1959 and came real close in the early 1960s. But after the 1967 Season the team was neglected by Sox management and the on-field performance was bad (except for a stretch in the 1972 Dick Allen Season which was exciting).
But in 1977, the Sox - with some good player additions that year - finally began to put together a really good season. And they were in contention for much of that year before fading.
But the point here is about the loudness of fans. Sox fans got so loud in some of those games that it began to rival the noise of Chicago Stadium. Of course, with an open-air baseball stadium you never get the same high level of noise. But the fans were just as loud and passionate that year on the South Side as was the usual case on the West Side.
Going to Sox games that year was almost like going to a Bulls or Blackhawks game. Another great testament to fan passion.
And going back a bit further, there were some great College double-header games in Chicago Stadium for many years that fans were really in to.
Playing on The Stadium floor was the next thing to playing at MSG for many players. And better for the smart ones!
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