Turf/ Jumbotron Thread

[wizards8507]

AP top 10

Alabama - Natural grass
Oregon - FieldTurf
Clemson - Natural grass
Ohio State - FieldTurf
Stanford - Natural grass
Florida State - Natural grass
Georgia - Natural grass
Lousville - FieldTurf
Texas A&M - Natural grass
LSU - Natural grass

So 70% of the top 10 use natural grass. The perception that "we need FieldTurf because recruits demand it and all the top teams have it" is a myth.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Is Stanford's any better than it was two years ago? Because that was the worst college surface I had ever seen.

 

[NDohio]

AP top 10

Alabama - Natural grass
Oregon - FieldTurf
Clemson - Natural grass
Ohio State - FieldTurf
Stanford - Natural grass
Florida State - Natural grass
Georgia - Natural grass
Lousville - FieldTurf
Texas A&M - Natural grass
LSU - Natural grass

So 70% of the top 10 use natural grass. The perception that "we need FieldTurf because recruits demand it and all the top teams have it" is a myth.

The difference is this. All of the bolded teams have much longer growing seasons than South Bend, IN. It is much easier to keep natural turf in good to great condition in the south. ND needs it because the grass is always in such poor condition later in the season.

 

[wizards8507]

The difference is this. All of the bolded teams have much longer growing seasons than South Bend, IN. It is much easier to keep natural turf in good to great condition in the south. ND needs it because the grass is always in such poor condition later in the season.

Green Bay Packers - Natural grass
Chicago Bears - Natural grass
Cleveland Browns - Natural grass
Pittsburgh Steelers - Natural grass

I know Lambeau has some kind of 5% "hybrid" artificial surface but it's mostly real, so that excuse is BS. I don't care if they take the "hybrid" approach, as long as it's muddy when it rains.

 

[blueNDgold44]

Soldier Field's playing surface is well known for being absolutely terrible as soon as the weather starts to go downhill

 

[ThePiombino]

This might sound stupid to some... but I would pay good money for ND grass if they cut it into turf that I could plant. How cool would that be to tell people that your yard is from ND's football field?

Ummmm YES PLS!

 

[wizards8507]

Soldier Field's playing surface is well known for being absolutely terrible as soon as the weather starts to go downhill

Don't care. It's football, not figure skating.

 

[ThePiombino]

Don't care. It's football, not figure skating.

Amen! Let's do away with the forward pass while we're at it! It is FOOTball after all. Amirite?!

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Don't care. It's football, not figure skating.

You're in the minority here. Even more so now that there's an increase in the importance of player safety. Playing on natural grass in northern states is a terrible idea these days. There's plenty of other, safer, options that are just as natural as the real stuff.

 

[NDohio]

Green Bay Packers - Natural grass
Chicago Bears - Natural grass
Cleveland Browns - Natural grass
Pittsburgh Steelers - Natural grass

I know Lambeau has some kind of 5% "hybrid" artificial surface but it's mostly real, so that excuse is BS. I don't care if they take the "hybrid" approach, as long as it's muddy when it rains.

Denver Broncos - Hybrid
Green Bay Packers - Hybrid
Philly Eagles - Hybrid
NYJets/Giants - Turf
Cinci Bengals - Turf (Started as grass but had such a difficult time keeping it playable they changed)
Buffalo Bills - Turf
Baltimore Ravens - Turf
NE Patriots - Turf
Seattle Seahawks - Turf

All cold weather facilities that have turf. This doesn't include cold weather teams with domes. There is a reason they are all changing. It is hard to keep the field in good condition during the later parts of the season when it is all grass.

Even Ohio will not allow their HS tournament football games to be played on anything other than turf.

I am OK with the hybrid as long as the field holds up to the weather.

 

[Folsteam_Ahead]

personally, i don't have an attachment to the grass. i understand the nostalgic attraction, but is there another reason to keep it? it doesn't offend my sensibilities or impact my experience as a fan, so i'm curious whether there's a strong argument to keep it instead of (1) that's what we've always played on and (2) individual opinions on the preferred surface. i'm not familiar with any long standing and ingrained traditions. educate me.

i'm with the traditionalists on the jumbotron, though. i'm 100% against it because it changes my experience dramatically.

 

[rocket66]

Don't care. It's football, not figure skating.

Leather helmets FTW.

 

[blueNDgold44]

Don't care. It's football, not figure skating.

LOL

 

[rikkitikki08]

Funny story about the grass. About 10ish years ago they let everyone on the field after the last home game of the season so my old man proceeded to rip up a piece of the ND football field grass. We get home and he lays it in a part of his garden underneath a tree, to make a long story short the grass to this day is still alive and well in the exact same spot. 100% true story

 

[koonja]

This might sound stupid to some... but I would pay good money for ND grass if they cut it into turf that I could plant. How cool would that be to tell people that your yard is from ND's football field?

That doesn't sound stupid at all. That is bloody brilliant.

 

[wizards8507]

Amen! Let's do away with the forward pass while we're at it! It is FOOTball after all. Amirite?!

Leather helmets FTW.

LOL

Harumph. Fullbacks.

 

[wizards8507]

personally, i don't have an attachment to the grass. i understand the nostalgic attraction, but is there another reason to keep it? it doesn't offend my sensibilities or impact my experience as a fan, so i'm curious whether there's a strong argument to keep it instead of (1) that's what we've always played on and (2) individual opinions on the preferred surface. i'm not familiar with any long standing and ingrained traditions. educate me.

i'm with the traditionalists on the jumbotron, though. i'm 100% against it because it changes my experience dramatically.

I think that's it. It's just a visceral, gut reaction. The same reason this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Fenway_from_Legend's_Box.jpg

is better than this:

http://www.baseballpilgrimages.com/american/tampabay.jpg

 

[wizards8507]

Denver Broncos - Hybrid
Green Bay Packers - Hybrid
Philly Eagles - Hybrid
NYJets/Giants - Turf
Cinci Bengals - Turf (Started as grass but had such a difficult time keeping it playable they changed)
Buffalo Bills - Turf
Baltimore Ravens - Turf
NE Patriots - Turf
Seattle Seahawks - Turf

All cold weather facilities that have turf. This doesn't include cold weather teams with domes. There is a reason they are all changing. It is hard to keep the field in good condition during the later parts of the season when it is all grass.

Even Ohio will not allow their HS tournament football games to be played on anything other than turf.

I am OK with the hybrid as long as the field holds up to the weather.

The Lambeau hybrid "Desso GrassMaster" is something like 3% artificial. It's real grass that grows in dirt and has roots and smells like fall. I'd be fine with that.

 

[OCIrish]

Soldier Field's playing surface is well known for being absolutely terrible as soon as the weather starts to go downhill

No, that's just the excuse the Bears use for their **** poor play as the season progresses.......

 

[Wild Bill]

Funny story about the grass. About 10ish years ago they let everyone on the field after the last home game of the season so my old man proceeded to rip up a piece of the ND football field grass. We get home and he lays it in a part of his garden underneath a tree, to make a long story short the grass to this day is still alive and well in the exact same spot. 100% true story

Reps to your old man...man.

 

[sos32]

This might sound stupid to some... but I would pay good money for ND grass if they cut it into turf that I could plant. How cool would that be to tell people that your yard is from ND's football field?

Very cool and I would be getting in line once I heard about it!

 

[NDdomer2]

does anyone remember a couple years ago the steelers field was so bad a punt stuck in the sod instead of bouncing

 

[AdmiralBackhand]

My brother keeps dead blades of ND grass in his wallet.

 

[arrowryan]

does anyone remember a couple years ago the steelers field was so bad a punt stuck in the sod instead of bouncing

That was against the Dolphins on a Monday night, Steelers won 3-0 lol. Calling it a monsoon would be an understatement

 

[BleedBlueGold]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Finishing touches on ND stadium bran new sod for 3rd time this season <a href="http://t.co/BaJtR6olG7">pic.twitter.com/BaJtR6olG7</a></p>— Dan Hicks (@DanHicksNBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanHicksNBC/statuses/391265082920812545">October 18, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


3rd time this season?! Just give up already...put in the mixed stuff.

 

[NDohio]

3rd time this season?! Just give up already...put in the mixed stuff.

Yeah, that is ridiculous. I don't know how anyone can think that this constant maintenance/replacement of sod is a good thing.

 

[AdmiralBackhand]

Looks great though

 

[NDBoiler]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Finishing touches on ND stadium bran new sod for 3rd time this season <a href="http://t.co/BaJtR6olG7">pic.twitter.com/BaJtR6olG7</a></p>— Dan Hicks (@DanHicksNBC) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanHicksNBC/statuses/391265082920812545">October 18, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


3rd time this season?! Just give up already...put in the mixed stuff.

IIRC from BK's press conference yesterday, they put it down right after the Oklahoma game, so it's had a good 3 weeks to root. It will probably get destroyed if there is a decent amount of rain though. I got the impression that BK wasn't real thrilled about it either in the presser.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Looks great though

Yea until they start the game. Wouldn't it be nice if it looked that great ALL the time?

 

[NDohio]

IIRC from BK's press conference yesterday, they put it down right after the Oklahoma game, so it's had a good 3 weeks to root. It will probably get destroyed if there is a decent amount of rain though. I got the impression that BK wasn't real thrilled about it either in the presser.

You could just tell BK wanted to go off on a "why can't I have turf?" rant when that question was asked.