Reliant Stadium Turf?

[Historyhorn]

I watched some of the Gold Cup soccer matches on TV over the last week or so and the field at Reliant looked absolutely brutal. Uneven, seams everywher, sand flying up. It was really kind of embarrassing.

Does anyone know what happened to have such a horrible pitch?

Have we come to the point where we might need to decide that having grass on trays that we roll in and then assemble might not work out. I know that we have two complete fields so that while one is inside, the other is outside sunning. It just seems that we always have issues with the grass in Reliant. It might be time to consider that new Field Turf stuff as unappealling as that may sound. I believe the Patriots went with that when they had such horrid problems with their grass.

Go Texans

[Texan_Bill]

Originally Posted by Historyhorn

I watched some of the Gold Cup soccer matches on TV over the last week or so and the field at Reliant looked absolutely brutal. Uneven, seams everywher, sand flying up. It was really kind of embarrassing.

Does anyone know what happened to have such a horrible pitch?

Have we come to the point where we might need to decide that having grass on trays that we roll in and then assemble might not work out. I know that we have two complete fields so that while one is inside, the other is outside sunning. It just seems that we always have issues with the grass in Reliant. It might be time to consider that new Field Turf stuff as unappealling as that may sound. I believe the Patriots went with that when they had such horrid problems with their grass.

Go Texans

As much as I hate to agree, I think you may be right.

[TexanSam]

After multiple games at home during football season, the turf looks bad as well. I think eventually the Texans are going to have to switch to field turf. Just a gut feeling. Look at the bright side though, at least that way we can have the blue endzones back!

[stingray]

what's the problem? don't they get enough sunshine in there during the week? I don't understand what they tried to do with that stadium when they built it. They wanted a retractable roof, but even when it's open, seems like only part of the field get's sun and also during the games, not enough air circulates. So the 25% of the people who do get sun don't get any air and you bake, but that's another thread entirely.

[Tulip]

Originally Posted by raytex

what's the problem? don't they get enough sunshine in there during the week?

I don't think that's even the issue. I think they grow the grass outside in square plates and then move them inside the stadium when they need them. Maybe it's the interlocking plate system that isn't working - I have no idea honestly.

[HJam72]

I always thought they should do it in the endzones anyway, because the colored endzones look so much better.

[Texan_Bill]

The grass sure looked good during this game:

[Corrosion]

I think the Arizona Cardinals stadium deals with this the best , the field rides on rails allowing the entire thing to be moved outside during the week .


As for Reliant stadium , I think the engineers who designed the place didnt do their homework and it shows in many area's .

[TexanSam]

Originally Posted by raytex

So the 25% of the people who do get sun don't get any air and you bake, but that's another thread entirely.

Tell me about it...

[Historyhorn]

Originally Posted by corrosion

I think the Arizona Cardinals stadium deals with this the best , the field rides on rails allowing the entire thing to be moved outside during the week .


As for Reliant stadium , I think the engineers who designed the place didnt do their homework and it shows in many area's .

What are the other areas that you see where Reliant isn't up to snuff?

I can see how the whole retractable roof thing with no air circulating might be one. The issue isn't with the roof which works and serves the purpose it was intended for, the issue became the fact that there is no air circulation which causes unbearably hot temps for those in the direct sunshine.

Are there others? Aside from those two things, I still consider Reliant to be a fabulous palace. It's so nice, it spurred Jerry to go out and try to do one of his own. A game of one-upsmanship.

Go Texans

[badboy]

There is a rumor that the new field for 2008 will actually be a mattress with all players using Converse old school tennis shoes.

[dskillz]

I have heard multiple stories about the grass at Reliant, but the one I believe is the engineers screwed up and the stadium was built at the wrong angle. Maybe upper management wanted the stadium to face Kirby flush and didn't want the angle that would have made the grass actually grow. But regardless of the reason, the field is in terrible condition by game 5 of each season. It seems it will be in terrible condition at the start of this year as well. With two full fields, I have no idea why they can't just switch out the pieces that are in bad shape.

It is time for field turf at Reliant. This crap isn't working.

[Tailgate]

Maybe we just gave them the crappy grass for the soccer matches... while saving the good stuff for us. Either way.. .field turf with the blue endzones would end all this.

[Texan_Bill]

The only way I could get on board with the field turf is if they could spray some grass scent in the stadium... Sorry, but I love the smell of grass at Reliant..

[badboy]

Originally Posted by Texan_Bill

The only way I could get on board with the field turf is if they could spray some grass scent in the stadium... Sorry, but I love the smell of grass at Reliant..

Won't that mellow the players a bit too much?

[the wonger need food]

Originally Posted by dskillz

I have heard multiple stories about the grass at Reliant, but the one I believe is the engineers screwed up and the stadium was built at the wrong angle. Maybe upper management wanted the stadium to face Kirby flush and didn't want the angle that would have made the grass actually grow. .

The grass is not kept inside the stadium... so how is this relevant???

[Texanfan4ever]

Originally Posted by the wonger need food

The grass is not kept inside the stadium... so how is this relevant???

I think during the season it is kept in the stadium. They change pieces of it out now and then. And I heard the same thing about the angle. Supposedly had it been put at the right angle, the air would circulate and the sun would hit the grass right. We have seats on the sunny side, 10 rows from the field. You can fry eggs on that cement in the sun. And there is NO air.

SOunds like a bunch of **** when you actually put it in writing though. As much money as we pay, they should be able to take it in and out without any problem.

[Texan_Bill]

Originally Posted by badboy

Won't that mellow the players a bit too much?

But whenever Tennessee is here, LenDale White could be found at the concession stand...

[Texan_Bill]

Originally Posted by dskillz

I have heard multiple stories about the grass at Reliant, but the one I believe is the engineers screwed up and the stadium was built at the wrong angle

Having spent about a year and a half on the project, I don't remember anything to that effect. The foot print of the stadium hasn't changed since the first documents went out for budgetary pricing. The idea was always to wedge Reliant between Kirby and the Astrodome with the field essentially running parallel to Kirby...

The real issue is the roof. The original concept of the stadium was to be open air. It was whenever the HLSR pitched in money for the roof that it became an issue. Obviously HLSR needs the roof and considering that they actually generate more revenue than the Texans do, the roof became reality.

Two items that contribute to the lack of natrual air flow are the two giant trellis peices that make-up the track for the roof which actually cause it to be more enclosed than the open air stadium would have been. The other issue with respect to air flow is kind of a bitter sweet item. Reliant Stadium offers a venue where the seats (even in the nose bleed sections) are closer to the field than most NFL stadiums and at the time it opened - the closest. This creates a taller, yet "skinnier" footprint. Combined these two issues restricts the natural air flow.

Anyone else who worked on the stadium and can remember some of the issues feel free to chime in and / or correct me where I didnt remember correctly.

[Hervoyel]

Originally Posted by badboy

Won't that mellow the players a bit too much?

Indeed and we'll never get rid of Ricky Williams. He'll be hanging around all the time trying to get the Texans to sign him. I just don't think it's a good plan, though I admit it would sell a lot of nachos.

I've been bitching about the grass in Reliant stadium since the second half of the 2002 season and I'll keep bitching about it until they face the obvious and go with an artificial surface.

I've read that Field Turf can't be installed in trays. I call bullchips on that. I'll bet the farm that it's easier to install Field Turf in trays than it is to maintain a real grass stadium in Reliant. The Texans just don't want to admit that they're wrong on the grass in Reliant subject. It's a pattern that one can't help but notice. We've seen it with personnel issues (I will not bring that name into the conversation but you know what I'm talking about) and they're the same way in every other aspect of their operation.

The Texans aren't perfect and that's nothing to be ashamed of. Nobody's perfect. The Texans problem is that when they get something wrong or make a bad move they refuse to admit it. they'll play on dead grass and green painted dirt before they finally admit that they can't make this work. I've never seen an organization more intent on not admitting to their mistakes.