NHL Paying For Heinz Field Re-sod

[thewarden86]

[quote name='ravenswoman' timestamp='1294706802' post='600540']
I know when they started putting artificial in stadiums I thought it detracts from the true origin of the game, the way it should be. I grew up thinking mud was part of the game. It looks like artificial is a much harder surface.
[/quote]

I like the way you think.

[Irish Girl]

[quote name='thewarden86' timestamp='1294706066' post='600527']
No they don't. Not anything that could be considered a detriment anyway.

Worst field in NFL history:

[url="http://www.theworldlink.com/article_ff643877-6f6e-549e-9308-0e0c1c096fe7.html"]Click here (hint: It's artificial)[/url]

Brian Billick actually refused to allow the Ravens take the field here.
[/quote]
Ok, everyone has their opinions. You obviously like real grass fields, and I play on artificial fields, and prefer them. It's more helpful for soccer, and I'm not sure about football, but I'd rather have artificial turf in football games than having somebody slip on mud or something.

[McBoller]

[quote name='BohBalmerOsbohs' timestamp='1294701076' post='600382']
yeah ill take torn acl's anyday over fake
[/quote]
I would think a real grass field would have more give to it and thus you would see less knee injuries. Even when the ground is frozen the grass has to have more cushion than the super short fake stuff.

[ravenswoman]

[quote name='Irish Girl' timestamp='1294706993' post='600548']
Ok, everyone has their opinions. You obviously like real grass fields, and I play on artificial fields, and prefer them. It's more helpful for soccer, and I'm not sure about football, but I'd rather have artificial turf in football games than having somebody slip on mud or something.
[/quote]
The artificial looks like a harder surface then grass, is it?

[markmullen]

artificial turf = getting with the times

[thewarden86]

[quote name='markmullen' timestamp='1294707336' post='600560']
artificial turf =[b] getting with the times[/b]
[/quote]

That's hardly an argument there Mark.

[ravenswoman]

[quote name='thewarden86' timestamp='1294707540' post='600568']
That's hardly an argument there Mark.
[/quote]
Stop saying things I agree with! (I'm wired to dislike Steelers fans )

[thewarden86]

[quote name='ravenswoman' timestamp='1294710278' post='600653']
Stop saying things I agree with! (I'm wired to dislike Steelers fans )
[/quote]

Well, if you think I like purple you're nuts! lol. I'm just here for the conversation.

[funky141]

[quote name='thewarden86' timestamp='1294700862' post='600378']
Hey, hey , hey. We've had issues, but not recently and I'll remind you that this is a REAL football field. I'll take grass, dirt and mud over synthetic ANYDAY!
[/quote]

I too like grass field but the issue is the over use of Pittsburg's field.
Remember its the university home field also and late November high school playoffs use it too. By then its too much and doesn't get enough rest to regrow the grass. It turns into mud, pot holes and is the worst in the NFL...If your going to have that many teams using it you need field turf to last in the winter.

[thewarden86]

[quote name='funky141' timestamp='1294710894' post='600667']
I too like grass field but the issue is the over use of Pittsburg's field.
Remember its the university home field also and late November high school playoffs use it too. By then its too much and doesn't get enough rest to regrow the grass. It turns into mud, pot holes and is the worst in the NFL...If your going to have that many teams using it you need field turf to last in the winter.
[/quote]

We're not talking about looks though and the field has been pretty decent. The biggest issue we've ever had was with drainage and during a long period of rain where it became a quagmire.

I couldn't care less if it looked pretty, but no one's ever been injured as a result of our field.

[Moderator 2]

I loved the real grass at M and T but because the way the stadium is situated it did not get enough sunlight and was painted dirt from October on, some times you have to go with the practical.

[funky141]

[quote]I couldn't care less if it looked pretty, but no one's ever been injured as a result of our field[/quote]

It's only a matter of time..

[PuRock]

[quote name='funky141' timestamp='1294716869' post='600804']
It's only a matter of time..
[/quote]

No need for that. Just ask their O-Line and their legs.

[Moderator 2]

The painted mud/dirt was like playing on concrete. My sons HS got the field turf last year and I must say its pretty sweet.

[thewarden86]

[quote name='funky141' timestamp='1294716869' post='600804']
It's only a matter of time..
[/quote]

Really? Because football's been played on grass since the beginning.

[purple.n.black]

[quote name='McBoller' timestamp='1294707035' post='600550']
I would think a real grass field would have more give to it and thus you would see less knee injuries. Even when the ground is frozen the grass has to have more cushion than the super short fake stuff.
[/quote]
Don't they put some sort of rubber in the turf? Or maybe that is in the soil and they can do it for all surfaces. But we all know the field in Pitt is bad. Not a good climate and paired with all of the use just doesn't work. But I am a believer that grass should be used, where practical. Whether or not it has directly caused injuries or not isn't really the point, the point is that it has a high chance to compared to other fields around the league. If Pitt wants to keep using the field though because of the advantage for their defense, that is fine then. Because their team plays on the field more than anyone, therefore has more chance of anyone else of suffering a field-related injury. Although, I do not think it is fair to the NCAA and high school teams that play there.

[xen-uno]

When you see a clod of grass get kicked up, that's at least one knee/ankle saved. Tho the artificial stuff now is much better (I hear) than astroturf of days past, it still grips and indents too much and simply doesn't give like grass does. Has there been a recent poll on what the players prefer?

[Jabara]

[quote name='thewarden86' timestamp='1294704877' post='600492']
Steelers, Panthers and the local high schools all use Heinz Field.

IMO Football fields are supposed to be real and bare between the hashes from 20 to 20.
[/quote]
I agree, I think all fields should be played on real grass, and I'll take it further and say that domes should not be allowed either.
I don't see the purpose of taking one of my favorite elements out of a game, weather.
And the game that was canceled in Philly was a bad call, in my opinion.
There is no truly dangerous climate that a stadium is located in the USA.
Thunderstorms/tornadoes delay the game, hurricane, cancel the game if their is a risk of flooding in that city. Blizzard, big deal, play on!

Off the top of my head I don't know if it costs less to maintain artificial than grass, but perhaps that's a motivation.
As a general rule of thumb, I'm all for real things, not synthetic.

[BohBalmerOsbohs]

your right warden, i remember that game in philly, billick called the game off because of how freaking bad that field was. Thats older astro turf (green carpet)

ive been on the field at M&T and it honestly feels like real grass, with the rubber shavings like dirt. Only bad thing is that it absorbs ALL heat and its insane hot in the early season games. M&T is like a convection oven week 1

[Irish Girl]

[quote name='ravenswoman' timestamp='1294707103' post='600551']
The artificial looks like a harder surface then grass, is it?
[/quote]
No, it's actually softer. There's something kind of like rubber padding underneath it, or at least the rubber pelts from it, so if you fall it doesn't hurt as much. Although, it is easy to get a turf burn, I've had one before and it hurts a lot!

[CapoRocky]

That Capitals game was brutal in the rain. I'm not surprised about the field. Maybe this was a forecast of what will happen to the Steelers at Heinz again. I love the photo of Housh giving the fans the salute!

[thewarden86]

[quote name='Jabara' timestamp='1294728087' post='600911']
I agree, I think all fields should be played on real grass, and I'll take it further and say that domes should not be allowed either.
I don't see the purpose of taking one of my favorite elements out of a game, weather.
[b]And the game that was canceled in Philly was a bad call, in my opinion.[/b]
There is no truly dangerous climate that a stadium is located in the USA.
Thunderstorms/tornadoes delay the game, hurricane, cancel the game if their is a risk of flooding in that city. Blizzard, big deal, play on!

Off the top of my head I don't know if it costs less to maintain artificial than grass, but perhaps that's a motivation.
As a general rule of thumb, I'm all for real things, not synthetic.
[/quote]

I agree with everything you've said except what's in bold. It was definitely the right call. A player's career could have ended that day had they played. It's happened before in that stadium. Billick was smart not to let his SB Champion team take the field.

[ravenswoman]

[quote name='thewarden86' timestamp='1294760584' post='601060']
I agree with everything you've said except what's in bold. It was definitely the right call. A player's career could have ended that day had they played. It's happened before in that stadium. Billick was smart not to let his SB Champion team take the field.
[/quote]
I believe he was talking about the Philly game, this year during a snow storm, that was postponed until Tuesday.

[ravenswoman]

[quote name='CapoRocky' timestamp='1294745747' post='600966']
I love the photo of Housh giving the fans the salute!
[/quote]
This one?
[img]http://i1045.photobucket.com/albums/b457/NaturalBornHitters/SteelersWhosYoDaddy-1-1.jpg[/img]

found on another thread (from: Natural Born Hitters)

[bpytnjr58]

If you see old clips of championship games 40 & 50 years ago you would not seen much grass that point of the season...either dirt or mud with lines painted on it. Field conditions are much better and safer now.

[edreedfromtheu]

[quote name='BohBalmerOsbohs' timestamp='1294682615' post='600048']
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11005/1115565-66.stm

So the field wont have any potholes.
[/quote]

That's what the NHL gets for having the Classic in Pittsburgh and putting the Penguins in the game for the 2nd time in 2 years. They got nice ratings with the move to prime-time TV, but it could have been so much better for everyone if that match was pretty much anywhere else. Pittsburgh isn't even good enough to host football on their field, and they want to try and host hockey too? Just so ridiculous.

[Ravenfano3]

[quote name='thewarden86' timestamp='1294705386' post='600511']
This isn't a back yard. It's a flat surface. I'm not aware of any FB injures do to dips and holes on a natural surface in an NFL stadium. However, I am aware of player who've blown out knees on artificial surfaces.
[/quote]

Actually didnt Ty Law get a season ending foot injury falling in a hole there a few years back with the Patriots? I was living in New England back then so heard about it all over the place. It was probly more the exception than the rule though I am sure.

Though I do actually prefer natural grass myself..just seems more "football" to me. I'd love to watch a game in a slushy mudpit any day of the week,lol.

[thewarden86]

[quote name='ravenswoman' timestamp='1294768015' post='601165']
I believe he was talking about the Philly game, this year during a snow storm, that was postponed until Tuesday.
[/quote]

Ahh! Yes, that one is more debatable. I want to argue it too, but Heaven forbid anything happened to a fan because of the storm. It was pretty bad in Philly. I think the NFL was pressured into by the city.

[thewarden86]

[quote name='Ravenfano3' timestamp='1294775709' post='601283']
Actually didnt Ty Law get a season ending foot injury falling in a hole there a few years back with the Patriots? I was living in New England back then so heard about it all over the place. It was probly more the exception than the rule though I am sure.

Though I do actually prefer natural grass myself..just seems more "football" to me. I'd love to watch a game in a slushy mudpit any day of the week,lol.
[/quote]

I don't recall that. I'd be surprised if they attributed it to the field though. Ty Law is no spring chicken and hasn't been one for quite some time. And yes, give me a mud pit too. lol

[Moderator 2]

[quote name='thewarden86' timestamp='1294776933' post='601306']
Ahh! Yes, that one is more debatable. I want to argue it too, but Heaven forbid anything happened to a fan because of the storm. It was pretty bad in Philly. I think the NFL was pressured into by the city.
[/quote]

We had more snow then that for the Bears game last year and took a pasting in the press because the game was changed to 4.