Soldier Field Stays Grass. Real, Manly Men Everywhere Rejoice
Word of warning: Don’t ever suggest that Soldier Field might be, again, better off grounded with artificial turf. You’ll only be chastised. So, consider news that Soldier Field will not install any type of artificial turf this season a win for tough, meat-eating, red-blooded Americans.
Citing results pending to a turf-related injuries study, the Bears have opted to stick with a grass playing surface for, at least, this upcoming season. Despite interest from the Chicago Park District — the likely would-be bearers of any costs associated with the transition and a group who had to re-sod the entire field twice in 2009 — to make a switch, the Bears remain adamant on, first, fully understanding the physical toll turf takes on a player.
An essay by Dave Parker entitled, “Turf Wars,” writes in its summary, “A study by the NFL concluded that there were slightly fewer serious injuries [where a serious injury is one which cause a player to miss one or two games] on artificial turf compared to natural grass, though synthetic fields reported more minor injuries.” Of course, this was from 1997, so who knows what new information may have come about since then, whether pro- or anti- either.
All I know is that members of the Bears seem to be in favor of change: Of 36 polled by the Tribune last December, only 12 wanted to remain with grass, none of whom were speed position players (wide receivers, defensive ends and defensive backs).
Others, on the other hand, don’t seem to get it.
Well – at least, limit the amount of other activities that beat the crap out of our field – Every day except Sunday – there seems to be a different high school, or collage football or soccer game on the field, on top of that, concerts, art shows, and even Spring Egg-Stravaganzas? WTF, are we trying to create another Wrigley field?
Doshi Reply:
May 14th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
@Brandon Lehor,
Just keep them away from the field between July and January. Give the grounds crew enough time to resod the field and for the sodding to actually take. One of the problems with the natural grass at Soldier is that the CPD doesn’t know how to take care of it. Thus, the field gets torn all to hell when it really shouldn’t.
Then again, the Bears are absolutely ripping the city of Chicago off with that ludicrous stadium deal. They pay next to nothing to use it, don’t pay for its maintenance, keep virtually all of the profits from the sales of Bears games, and they have the final say about what kind of field is being used.
Either way, it’s back to another year of the slop and general pathetic Soldier Field. The NFL should step in and stop this bullshit…
Keep the grass. how many of you complaining about the grass actually ever played beyond high school. I bet not many. Grass is much more plesant to play on. get used to it!