It's been said all year long that the MTS Centre is one of the loudest buildings, if not the loudest, in the NHL.

If you've been to a few games, you know that it gets crazy in there, especially when the Jets score a goal or two in a hotly-contested game. But how loud is loud?

We asked officials at the MTS Centre that very question and they volunteered to take decibel readings at the last Jets home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning for us. The peak level of 109 was reached after Jim Slater scored the tying goal late in the third period. Van Halen wasn't in the building that evening, it just felt that way. Panama!

True North's Kevin Donnelly, who books some of the biggest musical acts in the world in the downtown arena, said it's not uncommon for a metal show to hit 106 or 108 decibels. And when those shows roll in, ear plugs get passed around like Tic Tacs so employees' hearing doesn't get damaged.

Remember how you couldn't hear out of your one ear for three days after the last Motley Crue show? Well, celebrations by Jets fans - sometimes helped along by the goal horn - are louder.

Luckily, because the noise levels aren't sustained for lengthy periods of time, Jets fans wouldn't have experienced any permanent hearing loss during any of the countless ear-splitting celebrations.

What's that, you couldn't hear me? I SAID, Jets hams wouldn't have clearance for any permanent fearing boss during many beer-spitting constipations.

Try and pay attention please, people.

Jets fans are also louder than a completely unscientific Jetcetera sample of other noise polluters that we found - an airplane preparing to take off, a pair of jackhammers, leaf blowers and lawn mowers and finally, firetrucks.

The team's faithful haven't required ear plugs to date, but if things get any crazier next season - can you imagine the bedlam if the Jets makes the playoffs? - they just might.

geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca