a potential problem for stadiums everywhere....

[Jeff Ream]

so apparently the NFL players union wants all fields to go to grass....which would in turn bleed down to every level at some point.

 

#### I can’t get the article link to paste

Edited September 13 by Jeff Ream

[arabica]

That’s great. Less props.

[TOC]

The NFL Players Association's new executive director has called for the league to change all of its field surfaces to natural grass in the wake of Aaron Rodgers' season-ending injury.  Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles tendon on the fourth play of the Jets' season Monday night, spoiling the superstar quarterback's New York debut and reigniting the leaguewide debate over playing surfaces at NFL stadiums.

 

MetLife Stadium, the home of the Jets and Giants, installed a new surface this year called FieldTurf, which is softer and has a more forgiving feel than the stadium's previous synthetic turf.

 

 

 

[spacewill]

Even if the NFL did this, the amount invested in some of these stadiums would prohibit many colleges and high schools from changing immediately.  Many of the current district stadiums don't even have plumbing for sprinkler systems and would need above ground solutions, not to mention the wasted money on field turf that may have just installed which is (or used to be) anywhere between $500K to $1M.   So if the NFL decided this, it would probably be a 3 to 5 year transition for them, and then very delayed/staggered as it goes down the line to College then High School.  

For Bands, this would give DCI and high school bands time to adapt and change what or how shows are designed based on the field.  Maybe this will finally eliminate Tarps (I hate tarps!)..just kidding kind of.  But as someone else said, maybe it changes the amount and style of props being used.  I don't see it as a problem as I don't see this being a "now" or "quick turnaround" type change.

Oh and anyone else remember the cry 5 to 10 years ago for everyone to go to turf because a couple of prominent players tore their knees out on poor grass fields!  They would have never been able to play the Cowboys/Giants game in that weather on a grass field in NY.  It would have been pure mud and someone would have complained and had it moved/cancelled/etc.

Edited September 13 by spacewill

[lawdn]

I recall there is someone on DCP that has a fair amount of current expertise on artificial turf fields so perhaps they will weigh in. I vaguely recall that there was some experimentation in decades past with grass fields in domed stadiums, but that seems to have gone away, probably understandably. 

My own experiences with marching on artificial turf are extremely dated and I’m sure they don’t even make those kinds of turf anymore. I do recall that most of them were fine for marching and I can’t really speak to football. I distinctly remember that the first turf in what was the new Carrier Dome, made my feet sink laterally and unpredictably to the left or right which was obviously a distraction. I’m surprised Syracuse had a football team left to play at the end of the season. Ohio Stadium in the fall of 1984 felt like the thinnest possible piece of green carpet laid over concrete. It was not enjoyable to march on, something made worse that the fact that it was a downpour, and I cannot even imagine getting tackled on it. Football players are tough, probably unnecessarily so.

Of course grass is great if it is dry and in good condition. I still see complaints here about the Rose Bowl in 2007. But yeah, it sure would change the prop game. And given how hard grass fields can be to maintain, available fields for DCI might be fewer in number. Not to mention a higher likelihood of shows being canceled by rain in a period of time before the show even begins. 

 

 

Edited September 13 by lawdn

[PeterGibbons]

I don't see this happening. Most if not all of the dome NFL stadiums that do not already have grass have no practical way to have the grass outside and then be moved inside for the NFL game. Houston tried this for years and gave up. 

Edited September 13 by PeterGibbons
typo

[spacewill]

 

1 minute ago, PeterGibbons said:

I don't see this happening. Most if not all of the dome NFL stadiums that do not already have grass have no practical way to have the grass outside and then be moved inside for the NFL game. Houston tried this for years and gave up. 

15+ years of having the ugliest / nastiest field in the NFL.  It was quite embarrassing for them when on national TV (which given their record didn't happen often). 🙂

[OldSnareDrummer]

36 minutes ago, arabica said:

That’s great. Less props.

[KVG_DC]

Yeah. With NFL stadia moving to mega domes.  I don't see full grass being viable.  I mean they ... could I suppose.  They rake enough money in to do a new sod on a tray every week probably.  

And frankly, using Rodgers' injury to renew the cry for grass fields seems laughable.  I mean sure, the turf situation might not have helped him avoid injury, but the fact that he's a 39 year old man with a battered body playing a full contact sport where he's the target for getting hit might be a larger contributing factor.

[1992AllOverAgain]

I don't see how grass would work in a place like Lucas Oil Stadium.