Funny, back when I played it was great to hear the crowd but we did not need the "crowd" to inspire us. The crowd will get you inspired for the kickoff but after that, you better have some talent to back up the talk.
It was fun to knock the hell out of someone and I did not want the guy to knock the hell out of me. Most teams that I have seen played to win and did not need the "crowd" to back them up.
Must play different nowadays but maybe its me.