Charles Barkley compares Predators fans to Bulls fans ‘in their heyday’

Charles Barkley was in the house for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, and he offered high praise for the Nashville fans.

Predators fans have made headlines for their raucous atmosphere and tendency to throw catfish on the ice, injecting the Stanley Cup Final with their own unique personality and energy. Barkley has taken notice.

NBC had Barkley on during the second intermission. When asked about the atmosphere in Bridgestone Arena, Barkley said “Chicago’s stadium, when the Bulls were in their heyday, was incredible, but this atmosphere is amazing.”

For those who don’t know, comparisons to Chicago Stadium is the highest of high praise. At the Bulls’ heyday in the 90s, the stadium was known for how loud it got:

The sound level in the Stadium has been measured at 130 decibels, which is louder than the water thundering at the foot of Niagara Falls or the noise of a rock concert. It is louder than a propeller plane at takeoff or a speeding subway train. It is the same, essentially, as the sound of a machine gun being fired next to your head. And no doubt the noise level has gone higher than that. In Game 5 of this year’s NBA championship quarterfinals, when loathed New York Knick center Patrick Ewing fouled out with just over three minutes left to play, the Chicago crowd roared so loudly, venting all its resentment of those frighteningly tough New Yorkers while the P.A. system blared “Hit the Road, Jack”, that the sound raged beyond vibration into pure inner-ear hurt.

One only has to Google playoff intros from that era to hear the decibels through your YouTube device.

So, yes: for Barkley to compare Predators fans to mid-90s Bulls fans is quite the compliment.