Giants/Jets new endzones

[Mings]

So did they move Jimmy Hoffa to the new stadium as well?

[Gothamite]

If anything, I think the next attempted step will be a leaguewide contract with FieldTurf. There will be holdups, most likely in Oakland and Chicago, but they will try to get everyone on a uniform surface.

Wow. You're right - but I could see the pressure for something like that coming from the PA rather than the league.

You think so? Given the higher incidence of ACL injuries and sprained ankles on FieldTurf, I think it's more likely that the PA would seek to mandate natural grass, sod replaced every week.

[BBTV]

If anything, I think the next attempted step will be a leaguewide contract with FieldTurf. There will be holdups, most likely in Oakland and Chicago, but they will try to get everyone on a uniform surface.

Wow. You're right - but I could see the pressure for something like that coming from the PA rather than the league.

You think so? Given the higher incidence of ACL injuries and sprained ankles on FieldTurf, I think it's more likely that the PA would seek to mandate natural grass, sod replaced every week.

Oh I don't know about injury stats or anything like that, I just thought that it would make sense for a PA to ensure that it's players play on a consistent surface every week, so they're not risking injury by having to adjust from hard turf, to muddy grass, to nice field turf, etc. Not sure how many injuries are actually caused this way, but it's something that is reasonable for a union to want.

If the League wanted an "official partner", then I wouldn't be surprised if you saw FieldTurf logo somewhere on the field (even if out of bounds) just so people know that the suface is FieldTurf, and not NexTurf, or SpeedTurf, or whatever other xTurfs there are out there.

[TruColor]

So did they move Jimmy Hoffa to the new stadium as well?

Jimmy Hoffa's in the foundation of the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit.

[Gothamite]

Oh I don't know about injury stats or anything like that, I just thought that it would make sense for a PA to ensure that it's players play on a consistent surface every week, so they're not risking injury by having to adjust from hard turf, to muddy grass, to nice field turf, etc. Not sure how many injuries are actually caused this way, but it's something that is reasonable for a union to want.

Not sure I can agree there - seems as though they're risking more injuries rather than less.

Now, if you were making the case that the union would sell its members out for a couple bucks, then I could see them advocating FieldTurf.

[The_Admiral]

I can't get a straight story on FieldTurf. Some people think it's a godsend, others think it's a deathtrap, I think it looks crappy at these very Meadowlands when it gets played on 20 times a year and is reduced to the greyish-black of pulverized tires by mid-December. Obviously it's superior to the carpet-on-concrete of the Vet, of course, and now we've sort of 180ed from those days: instead of the Vet and Riverfront and Insert-a-Dome having maligned surfaces, it's the natural grass mainstays that have bad reputations. Oakland and Miami have dirt infields in September. Pittsburgh's field doesn't drain well in storms. Soldier Field's sod never fully takes. Meanwhile, the most celebrated stadiums in the league, your Gillette and M&T and Qwest and Reliant, are all using FieldTurf. It won't be an easy fight, but I think we'll eventually see the whole league on FieldTurf.

[Sport]

Reliant Stadium uses grass. Wes Welker's knee injury happened because of loose sod.

When the Bengals first opened Paul Brown Stadium they tried natural grass. They grew the grass on sand so it was even softer, but there were a ton of ankle and foot injuries and you'd see players randomly fall down all the time. I prefer the fieldturf over poorly installed and maintained grass fields.

[BlueSky]

I can't get a straight story on FieldTurf. Some people think it's a godsend, others think it's a deathtrap, I think it looks crappy at these very Meadowlands when it gets played on 20 times a year and is reduced to the greyish-black of pulverized tires by mid-December. Obviously it's superior to the carpet-on-concrete of the Vet, of course, and now we've sort of 180ed from those days: instead of the Vet and Riverfront and Insert-a-Dome having maligned surfaces, it's the natural grass mainstays that have bad reputations. Oakland and Miami have dirt infields in September. Pittsburgh's field doesn't drain well in storms. Soldier Field's sod never fully takes. Meanwhile, the most celebrated stadiums in the league, your Gillette and M&T and Qwest and Reliant, are all using FieldTurf. It won't be an easy fight, but I think we'll eventually see the whole league on FieldTurf.

I think you forgot one...

I was at Lambeau in August 2004 for a preseason game, 6 rows from the field. You could smell the grass and it was as pristine as a putting green.

It's tragic to see the aftermath of the old rock-hard Astroturf fields. Guys like Earl Campbell who can't even climb a flight of stairs today. Obviously it wasn't just the turf but it sure didn't help. Anyone who's ever stood on one of those fields much less played on it can tell you what a beating those players took from the surface they played on.

[The_Admiral]

Could've sworn Reliant was not always natural grass. I think I based this on an old edition of Madden. Whoops. As for Lambeau, isn't it technically "reinforced" grass, meaning that it's still grass and dirt as opposed to plastic and rubber?

[Harmening]

Reliant Stadium uses grass. Wes Welker's knee injury happened because of loose sod.

When the Bengals first opened Paul Brown Stadium they tried natural grass. They grew the grass on sand so it was even softer, but there were a ton of ankle and foot injuries and you'd see players randomly fall down all the time. I prefer the fieldturf over poorly installed and maintained grass fields.

I remember watching a late season game between the Bengals and Jaguars during the natural grass years.

God, that field was a pathetic looking mess.

[BBTV]

I think the Eagles have resisted the move to FT because they host international soccer games there every year, and IIRC, FIFA only sanctions matches on grass? They have one of those sand-based fields, and for as awesome as it is in August, it's pretty horrible in December. Not as bad as many of the others that have been mentioned, but still kind of bad. Temple plays there too, and usually right after the Army Navy game, you can see dirt through the grass in the corners of the end zones and in between the hashes.

[slapshot]

I thought FIFA has approved FieldTurf for international play. That was one of the selling points for Gillette putting it in as opposed to other brands.

Invesco in Denver was the field I thought had natural grass combined with artificial blades for stability.

[BlueSky]

Could've sworn Reliant was not always natural grass. I think I based this on an old edition of Madden. Whoops. As for Lambeau, isn't it technically "reinforced" grass, meaning that it's still grass and dirt as opposed to plastic and rubber?

Sorry, I meant Lambeau was a "celebrated" stadium, not that it has Field Turf. The field is natural grass.

[JQK]

Nothing wrong with a beat-to-hell grass/dirt field in December in pro football.

Annoys the hell out of me that people want perfect fields all year round. Not all games can be played in Miami

[Gothamite]

True enough. Heck, if perfectly consistent game conditions are really a worthwhile goal, we should move all games into domes.

Reliant Stadium uses grass. Wes Welker's knee injury happened because of loose sod.

Nobody is suggesting that all injuries are caused by FieldTurf, or that injuries never happened before its inception. But the latest figures indicate that ACL injuries happen 88 percent more on FieldTurf than on grass. We all understand that correlation is not causation, but these numbers should certainly give one pause.

I prefer the fieldturf over poorly installed and maintained grass fields.

When did those become the only two choices?

[scarsofthumper]

I thought FIFA has approved FieldTurf for international play. That was one of the selling points for Gillette putting it in as opposed to other brands.

Invesco in Denver was the field I thought had natural grass combined with artificial blades for stability.

FIFA did approve it. They've even had World Cup qualifying matches on it.

[nybatt]

a moment to explain my "field-turf hate" from my earlier post..

fist off, I played on the old astroturf in high school... it was frightening! I couldn't believe pro players were actually playing on it. As a HS football coach now, my teams play on field turf fields at least once a season.

Here are my issues: first off incredible heat issues in the august/september sun, secondly the turf 'gives' when hard plants are made causing a buckle in the turf, lastly on tackles where cleats are planted the foot/toe grabs and the only thing to give way are ankle/knee ligaments, where on grass the cleat would dig out a divot. Then there is the peripheral nuisance of the ground-up tires/sneakers that get EVERYWHERE, including players eyes and mouths (not to mention down my shoes!).

I suppose as a traditionalist I really don't care for the poor asthetics of a worn grass field as the season grinds on. I also don't believe statistically that there are more knee injuries on a poor, real surface opposed to an artificial one.

[RyanB06]

Since we're on the topic of endzones, how long before the NFL issues a standardized endzone template?

Do not encourage them.

[mmejia]

I've attend several Texans games a year at Reliant Stadium, it is a natural surface. These are a few photos I took at last years preseason MNF game vs Minnesota:

[fufkin]

The fields in Green Bay, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are Grassmaster fields. It's a combination of real grass and synthetic fibers.