NRG Stadium's Hazardous Turf

[CloakNNNdagger]

I just remembered another name of note that specifically stated that his knee injury occurred because he stepped in a "hole" between the seams of the grass pallets at Reliant during the year of hurricane Ike in 2008..........Kelvin Hayden of the Colts.

 

[Playoffs]

Reliant had been ranked 4th best by players. Link
...
How significant are the groundskeepers? 84.6% very.

The thing is, I think you're getting a different surface every time it's assembled. So one game it may be great, the next may have open seams in areas where they spend time in play on the field.

Complaints have historically been about pallet to pallet inconsistency -- mushy compression into one and very firm in next one. That can be tested for and fixed by whoever is managing the grass. I know they do this with golf courses.

NFL needs to address crappy field conditions

“The turf at [NRG Stadium] is the worst in the league,” NBC’s Rodney Harrison told me in the wake of Swearinger’s comments. “In the Super Bowl, we were slipping and sliding all over the place. We had a couple of opportunities to make plays and we slid past it. I also hurt my groin sliding on that garbage field.”

Harrison said the stadium is beautiful, but the “field conditions were terrible.” He said that the turf was “one of the worst I’ve experienced in my 15-year career.”

So how does the NFL allow the field to continue to be in that type of condition? How does owner Bob McNair not insist that his players be more protected against avoidable injury?

Did they paint/color the field to make it look better for the Super Bowl which made it slippery?

I don't think our players are just making isht up about seams/holes/soft spots in the field -- to what purpose? What's the payoff for DJ & JJo to randomly lie about the field conditions? I'm not seeing any...?

I think the front office has told players to not comment on the field, along with thier injuries. Hey Arian, how's the turf at NRG? "Just trying to be the best teammate I can be, man."

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

[/B]

I think the front office has told players to not comment on the field, along with thier injuries. Hey Arian, how's the turf at NRG?

Arian:

My back bone's connected to my hip bone, my hip bone's connected to my hamstring bone, my hamstring bone's connected to my knee bone, my knee bone's connected to my calf bone, my calf bone's connected to my foot bone, my foot bone's connected to the grass hole...............

 

[Double Barrel]

I don't think our players are just making isht up about seams/holes/soft spots in the field -- to what purpose? What's the payoff for DJ & JJo to randomly lie about the field conditions? I'm not seeing any...?

I don't think so, either. Like I said upthread, anecdotal evidence is my son has played on the field before they went artificial turf for non-Texans games and said the same thing about inconsistencies and seams. It's not all over the field, but areas they find during walk-through and note to try to avoid during games.

He said the grass itself is nice, though, and huge upgrade over the old astroturf they use at SFA's home stadium (SFA has since upgraded their field since he graduated, and they are now using Hellas' Matrix Turf, the same turf the Cowboys are now using).

 

[infantrycak]

The thing is, I think you're getting a different surface every time it's assembled. So one game it may be great, the next may have open seams in areas where they spend time in play on the field.

Complaints have historically been about pallet to pallet inconsistency -- mushy compression into one and very firm in next one. That can be tested for and fixed by whoever is managing the grass. I know they do this with golf courses.

NFL needs to address crappy field conditions
​

Did they paint/color the field to make it look better for the Super Bowl which made it slippery?

And that gets back to maintenance again.

I don't think our players are just making isht up about seams/holes/soft spots in the field -- to what purpose? What's the payoff for DJ & JJo to randomly lie about the field conditions? I'm not seeing any...?

"Our players" is two guys? Haven't seen JJo's comment so if you could supply that it would be great.

I think the front office has told players to not comment on the field, along with thier injuries. Hey Arian, how's the turf at NRG? "Just trying to be the best teammate I can be, man."

Well there's no countering a good conspiracy theory. Other than observing our front office doesn't control other players and literally thousands of them have played in Reliant for 12 seasons and less than a single handful of allegations has come out and two of those are actually complaints by someone on behalf of the player.

Seriously, if the field was that bad you don't think players in post game would be making casual comments not even about injuries but about slipping, tripping, not making plays because of the field? "I had good position on AJ but went to make my cut and hit a hole..."

As for Harrison, I give that exactly zilch credit. Neither he nor anyone else in that game complained at the time. Now he's a commentator jumping on and making his role bigger. Reliant got wonderful reviews and has been awarded another SB.

 

[JB]

Ranking: Best Grass Playing Field
Rank Team Stadium
1 Arizona Cardinals University of Phoenix Stadium
2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Raymond James Stadium
3 San Diego Chargers Qualcomm Stadium
4 Carolina Panthers Bank of America Stadium
5 Green Bay Packers Lambeau Field
6 Miami Dolphins Sun Life Stadium
7 Houston Texans Reliant Stadium
8 Jacksonville Jaguars EverBank Field
9 Denver Broncos Invesco Field at Mile High
10 Tennessee Titans LP Field
11 Washington Redskins FedEx Field
12 San Francisco 49ers Candlestick Park
13 Kansas City Chiefs Arrowhead Stadium
14 Philadelphia Eagles Lincoln Financial Field
15 Pittsburgh Steelers Heinz Field
16 Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns Stadium
17 Chicago Bears Soldier Field
18 Oakland Raiders Oakland Coliseum

link

 

[barrett]

No matter what, an imperfect system at best. For purposes of rearrangement, theses pallets don't lock into place. They rely on simple adjacent abutment.
mgur.com/a/ji8DN

I wonder what the weight of each individual pallet is. How do you know they don't lock into place? (your link didn't work for me, perhaps that would answer my question.)

 

[infantrycak]

I wonder what the weight of each individual pallet is. How do you know they don't lock into place? (your link didn't work for me, perhaps that would answer my question.)

3500 lbs - Link

The link didn't work for me either.

 

[Double Barrel]

I wonder what the weight of each individual pallet is. How do you know they don't lock into place? (your link didn't work for me, perhaps that would answer my question.)

 

[nate4l1f3]

And we're off into aesthetics instead of safety.

Who's says we have to ignore aesthetics? Why couldn't we have both? It's not like we on this board have actual say so on the ultimate vertic. What's the harm in discussing it and giving our two cents?

 

[infantrycak]

Who's says we have to ignore aesthetics? Why couldn't we have both? It's not like we on this board have actual say so on the ultimate vertic. What's the harm in discussing it and giving our two cents?

If you're advocating fieldturf then you are picking aesthetics over safety.

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

I wonder what the weight of each individual pallet is. How do you know they don't lock into place? (your link didn't work for me, perhaps that would answer my question.)

I have watched an early installation. You're looking at the thin galvanized metal pallets from the side.......all 4 sides are flat, smooth and identical. The 2 large side holes are for the fork lifts and the smaller ones near the bottom are for distributing air and heat.

You will note in this TIME LAPSE INSTALLATION that the pallets are pushed into place without the need for additional human assistance (installation is always started from a stable perimeter wall to initially line up the pallets). EDIT: Keep in mind that the fork lift platforms of these particular forklifts can move from right to left, for more efficient positioning. Locking mechanisms are not included, this would make both installation and disassembly honerous and nightmarish and are felt to be unnecessary......once in place, these pallets don't accidentally move........they weigh~3500 pounds a piece.

 

[Playoffs]

And that gets back to maintenance again.

There's either a problem or there isn't.

Well there's no countering a good conspiracy theory.

Yeah Clowney, Swearinger, Welker, Belichick, Kelvin Hayden(Colts), Brett Hartmann, international soccer players/coaches...

"I agree with you that it was important that no one was hurt in the matchup, and I also believe that it was a situation where neither team wanted to play on the field," AC Milan coach Fillippo Inzaghi said. "But the referee had decided the field was playable. Both teams were professional and wanted to act professionally. If the referee said we could play, (we) play."

Added Chivas coach Carlos Bustos: "Actually, up to the last minute, it was debatable whether it would be played. The category of players on both sides obligates us to take that type of precaution to require a more acceptable pitch."

Inconsistencies in the turf were clearly evident, with wide gray blocks exposing the dangerous seams that failed to completely tie the grass.

and Rodney Harrison all got together in one mass conspiracy against grass.

 

[infantrycak]

There's either a problem or there isn't.

Yeah Clowney, Swearinger, Welker, Belichick, Kelvin Hayden(Colts), Brett Hartmann, international soccer players/coaches...

and Rodney Harrison all got together in one mass conspiracy against grass.

Nice try. Welker and Clowney haven't said a word. Soccer is played on a different field.

Seriously anyone who ever brings up that soccer game has never been to a Texans game or is being disingenuous. That field bears no resemblance.

No conspiracy required. A tiny, tiny number of players with outlier opinions out of thousands. Stop the presses, poll 1000 Americans on ANYTHING you'll get disagreement. This is astoundingly low.

All I'm saying is solutions have to be practical and player preference/safety shouldn't be sacrificed to aesthetics or herd overreaction. I'm seeing a lot of over reaction.

 

[Speedy]

The thing is, I think you're getting a different surface every time it's assembled. So one game it may be great, the next may have open seams in areas where they spend time in play on the field.

Complaints have historically been about pallet to pallet inconsistency -- mushy compression into one and very firm in next one. That can be tested for and fixed by whoever is managing the grass. I know they do this with golf courses.

NFL needs to address crappy field conditions
​

Did they paint/color the field to make it look better for the Super Bowl which made it slippery?

I don't think our players are just making isht up about seams/holes/soft spots in the field -- to what purpose? What's the payoff for DJ & JJo to randomly lie about the field conditions? I'm not seeing any...?

I think the front office has told players to not comment on the field, along with thier injuries. Hey Arian, how's the turf at NRG? "Just trying to be the best teammate I can be, man."

If I remember right, they rolled a totally different grass in there for the Super Bowl. It wasn't the trays.

 

[Playoffs]

A tiny, tiny number of players with outlier opinions out of thousands.

You're welcome to ignore Tony Dungy and his Colts, too...

Tony Dungy, now an analyst with NBC Sports, said the Colts were “definitely concerned about the injury factor” during his years in Indianapolis.

All I'm saying is solutions have to be practical and player preference/safety shouldn't be sacrificed to aesthetics or herd overreaction...

I'd go for just trying something different --has anybody made the effort? I'm not all that concerned about practical.

I agree that it needs to stay grass, which players typically prefer... I just think if you put it out to some local university students or out-of-work NASA engineers or whoever else, some group will come up with a better outcome. I don't accept the idea that there's not a better way to do it.

 

[infantrycak]

Haven't said there is nothing better possible, but something isn't a solution. I'd be happy to see the Texans solicit solutions for an upgraded grass field.

 

[Texan_Bill]

"House of Pain v2.0?" J/K

Meh, there have been 130+ Texans games and a number of college games mixed with high school games and we're talking about a handful of injuries???

I was certainly glad to see that Reliant implemented field turf for college and HS games to preserve the grass for the Texans...

Given where I sit, nay STAND, the smell of fresh grass is awesome!!

*EDIT*
As an aside, I would've love to play on the grass at Reliant v. Butler Stadium on South Main, or the Astrodome......... If people think Reliant's surface sucks, play on Butler's or the Dom's field.

 

[Texan_Bill]

If I remember right, they rolled a totally different grass in there for the Super Bowl. It wasn't the trays.

It was trays, but it was a different grass, IIRC. NFL grass but still on trays, no??

 

[Hervoyel]

If you're advocating fieldturf then you are picking aesthetics over safety.

If 13 teams in the league play games on it (I'm speaking of artificial surfaces in general, not specifically fieldturf) then I have to assume the league and the players consider it to be safe enough.

 

[paycheck71]

If 13 teams in the league play games on it (I'm speaking of artificial surfaces in general, not specifically fieldturf) then I have to assume the league and the players consider it to be safe enough.

They consider the Texans surface safe enough, too. Maybe safer, considering links to the surveys conducted in the past among players.

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

If I remember right, they rolled a totally different grass in there for the Super Bowl. It wasn't the trays.

It was trays, but it was a different grass, IIRC. NFL grass but still on trays, no??

When we hosted the Super Bowl, there were no trays. the stadium floor was cleared. Then a subfield dirt was substituted on top of the concrete and compacted, with a traditional sodding placed over it

 

[infantrycak]

If 13 teams in the league play games on it (I'm speaking of artificial surfaces in general, not specifically fieldturf) then I have to assume the league and the players consider it to be safe enough.

Are we shooting for "safe enough"?

I thought the accusation in the thread title was it is hazardous not that it's ugly.

If safety is the main consideration as it should be then the only reason to change is for safer.

 

[Texan_Bill]

When we hosted the Super Bowl, there were no trays. the stadium floor was cleared. Then a subfield dirt was substituted on top of the concrete and compacted, with a traditional sodding placed over it

Thanks Doc.... I just remembered that the NFL brought in "their own grass" but wasn't sure how they did it.

 

[Hervoyel]

Are we shooting for "safe enough"?

I thought the accusation in the thread title was it is hazardous not that it's ugly.

If safety is the main consideration as it should be then the only reason to change is for safer.

Are fields composed of trays with varying consistencies safe enough? Are fields with random gaps between the trays safe enough? This is what players who have talked about the field allege to be a problem. I don't believe for a second that most players will speak their mind about the quality of the field if they're told not to mention it when discussing injuries. Some will start talking but not all. Others will have typical injuries that could happen anywhere and not think it has anything to do with the playing surface. I'm sure people get injured on NRG's field due to things that have nothing to do with the playing surface all the time. Some of them feel like the field did contribute to their injury though.

I get that a grass field is generally accepted to be less hard on the players than any of the artificial fields that have been developed to date. I don't necessarily agree that a grass field like the one we have with inconsistencies in its footing like those that are described is safer than a properly installed artificial surface.

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

For historic interest, you may want to read this well-buried article from the Phoenix Business Journal.

Super Bowl sod growing in Casa Grande

Dec 30, 2003, 10:38am MST Updated: Dec 30, 2003, 1:13pm MST

While the Arizona Cardinals finished the NFL season 4-12 and won't be in the Feb. 1 Super Bowl in Houston, at least the field will have a local connection.

Palm Desert, Calif.-based West Coast Turf is currently growing the sod destined for Reliant Stadium, the site of the NFL's Super Bowl XXXVIII, in Casa Grande at the home of its sister company Western Sod.

Two acres are scheduled to be harvested in mid-January and shipped to the Super Bowl site in Houston in more than 35 refrigerated trucks, to be placed in time for the NFL championship game.

According to West Coast Turf officials, this is the first sod to be used in a Super Bowl that was harvested in Arizona. The company, which is paid by the NFL for the sod, has provided the turf in six past Super Bowls, including the 1996 Super Bowl held at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe.

 

[since02]

I mean I know this is really far fetched, but I've seen a Chinook carry some really heavy machinery and helicopters. What if we just open the roof and helicopter in some large palettes of grass to reduce the seams on the field.

I understand the catastrophic potential if a accident occurred.. but hey I'm just throwing out ideas.

Leave the palettes in for 6 months at a time, artificial sunlight, and a good grounds crew and you get your fix to the issue. Sorry Houston Rodeo you get your 6 months and football gets theirs.

 

[texanhead08]

When UH played their games at NRG last year they were told they had to be at least 48hrs before Texans games so they could switch the field turf to grass field yet they didn't switch it out for the Oct 31st game which was on Thursday night and black friday which was 48yrs before a Texans game.

I think something needs to be done because if I can see how bad it looks from my seats with those seems and now we have one of our major players being hurt they need to figure out some way to improve the playing conditions for the players.

 

[infantrycak]

Well last observation unless something new comes up - in all the years of sitting right by the Texans kickers on the sideline, watching both teams in pre game warm ups etc. Not once have I seen a Texans player, actually any player, inspect the ground, look like they were watching where they were stepping, stop to look at the ground or fix anything or talk to another player pointing at something on the ground. Yeah not scientific but color me unimpressed with the panic.

 

[steelbtexan]

Never said otherwise but if people are acting like the tray system is inherently flawed then it doesn't matter. The field was used for years and ranked high. If you want to say something has changed then as I have said it sounds like how the field maintenance is being done since the design hasn't changed.



Who said anything about TV? My observation was from the 1st row for years of Texans games.



I want whatever is best for the players/their preference which is consistent with the constraints of the facility. What I do not want is the field being scapegoated for ordinary NFL injuries or changed for aesthetics as has been too often a complaint over the years.

Counselor, your mind will never be changed. But players that have actually played on the damn field disagree with you. (Well only the honest ones.)

With that said, I wish Rootes McNair HLSR etc would do the right thing and either fix the field correctly or stop whoring out the stadium so that it will be safer to play football.

This comes from a man that has laid many a pallet of grass in his time. I would love to hear Joe Texans thoughts on this subject.

 

[steelbtexan]

Well last observation unless something new comes up - in all the years of sitting right by the Texans kickers on the sideline, watching both teams in pre game warm ups etc. Not once have I seen a Texans player, actually any player, inspect the ground, look like they were watching where they were stepping, stop to look at the ground or fix anything or talk to another player pointing at something on the ground. Yeah not scientific but color me unimpressed with the panic.

Well then that makes you the authority then.

Never mind what BB/Welker/Hartmann/His lawyers/Swag/etc... say.

But I will say one thing you are a he** of a lawyer. I would always want you to represent me regardless if I were guilty or not.

 

[infantrycak]

Well then that makes you the authority then.

Never mind what BB/Welker/Hartmann/His lawyers/Swag/etc... say.

I claimed no authority other than being a witness. And Welker has never claimed anything.

But thanks for adding your hat into the never seen anything pile because if you had you would have said so.

 

[steelbtexan]

Oh, I've seen plenty throughout the yrs.

For instance I watched terrible footing/Buchanan turn an ankle at field level during the Baylor/Illinois bowl game a couple of yrs ago for no reason other than bad footing and I was sitting at field level.

But carry on, and I meant what I said in my previous post as a compliment. But I think you've got this one wrong. So we will have to agree to disagree.

I could be wrong, but I will bet that I have much more experience laying grass than you do. Paycheck seems to be the authority on this topic.

 

[Marshall]

Well then that makes you the authority then.

Never mind what BB/Welker/Hartmann/His lawyers/Swag/etc... say.

But I will say one thing you are a he** of a lawyer. I would always want you to represent me regardless if I were guilty or not.

Lawyers aren't searching for the truth. They are searching for a payday for themselves and their clients if civil or ANY way to keep their client out of jail if criminal. Truth is only one tool at their disposal as is diversion and confusion.

 

[drs23]

...so they could switch the field turf to grass field yet they didn't switch it out for the Oct 31st game which was on Thursday night and black friday which was 48yrs before a Texans game....

Now I'm no horticulturist but that seems like PLENTY OF TIME for a sodded field to stabilize.

 

[disaacks3]

I don't believe for a second that most players will speak their mind about the quality of the field if they're told not to mention it when discussing injuries.

Do you believe the poll conducted by the PLAYERS UNION that ranks the Texans grass above average every time they get polled?

Leave the palettes in for 6 months at a time, artificial sunlight, and a good grounds crew and you get your fix to the issue. Sorry Houston Rodeo you get your 6 months and football gets theirs.

They don't have that kind of time. Look at the Reliant calendar and you'll see Disney on Ice, Monster trucks, etc. for months on end. That's not even counting HS & College games.

Counselor, your mind will never be changed. But players that have actually played on the damn field disagree with you. (Well only the honest ones.) .

A few have complained. The VAST majority of players, both home and away haven't.

ALL grass fields will have inconsistent areas. The only thing different with NRG's system is the seams from the trays.

69% of the players prefer grass. The Texans have a field that ranks in the top half of all NFL grass fields.

Can it be improved? Undoubtedly. It could also be far worse.

 

[CloakNNNdagger]

Guidelines for playing surfaces, from the NFL Game Operations Manual:

Within 72 hours of each home game, all clubs that own or lease their stadiums are required to certify that their fields are in compliance with Recommended Practices for the Maintenance of Infill and Natural Surfaces for NFL Games. If any parts of the playing surface are not in compliance, it must be remediated in accordance with the applicable manufacturer's recommendations at the club's expense. The playing surface must be retested and certified as being in compliance prior to game day. Failure to comply is considered a competitive as well as a player safety issue and will be subject to disciplinary action by the Commissioner's office.

Impact Hardness Test - The playing surface should produce a g-max of less than 100 g measured by the Clegg Hammer impact tester in locations as stated in the Recommended Practices for the Maintenance of Infill and Natural Surfaces for NFL Games.

Synthetic Infill Depth and Evenness - The infill depth of a playing surface should be measured by using the Floortest FT 50 to calibrate the thickness in locations as stated in the Recommended Practices for the Maintenance of Infill Surfaces for NFL Games.

Visual Inspection - The playing surface should be free of any defects or foreign objects through the visual inspection methods as stated in the Recommended Practices for the Maintenance of Infill and Natural Surfaces for NFL Games.

For each home game, clubs are responsible for having the field manager and his staff available to address any playing surface issues.


EDIT: When FedEx Field conditions were severely questioned, this statement by the League was on record:

“It’s the responsibility of the home team,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. “The home team must certify prior to each game that the playing field meets certain conditions.

“The Redskins certified their compliance prior to the game.”

Washington Post

As I've pointed out before, even the League lets it be known that it acts as no more than a "rubber stamp" on the weekly "certification" of the NFL fields.........a convenient excuse to point fingers when bad publicity rears its ugly head.

 

[Playoffs]

Guidelines for playing surfaces, from the NFL Game Operations Manual:

Visual Inspection — The playing surface should be free of any defects or foreign objects through the visual inspection methods...

[IMGwidthsize=450]http://cbshouston.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/nrg-stadium-seam.jpg[/IMG]
[IMGwidthsize=450]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7040/7078658883_00a9bf27df_b.jpg[/IMG]

Looks okay to me, hehehe.

 

[Showtime100]

'Cak and steelbtexan take it easy fellers! I've heard of turf wars, but this is a little too on the nose.

 

[infantrycak]

[IMGwidthsize=450]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7040/7078658883_00a9bf27df_b.jpg[/IMG]

Bumps in the turf carpet and breaks in the seams were an inevitable obstacle throughout the game between the Harrisburg Stampede and the Virginia Badgers on Saturday, April 14, 2012, at the York City Ice Arena.

 

[Playoffs]

[IMGwidthsize=600]http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5442/7078661319_7304dba7fc_b.jpg[/IMG]

You wanted somma dat cheerleaders, didn't ya? Yeah, I know.

 

[infantrycak]

You wanted somma dat cheerleaders, didn't ya? Yeah, I know.

That was just mean.

To us.

 

[paycheck71]

That crappy TEN field just caused that Dez Bryant injury.

 

[paycheck71]

Oh, I've seen plenty throughout the yrs.

For instance I watched terrible footing/Buchanan turn an ankle at field level during the Baylor/Illinois bowl game a couple of yrs ago for no reason other than bad footing and I was sitting at field level.

But carry on, and I meant what I said in my previous post as a compliment. But I think you've got this one wrong. So we will have to agree to disagree.

I could be wrong, but I will bet that I have much more experience laying grass than you do. Paycheck seems to be the authority on this topic.

Thanks, but I am in now way an expert on this topic. Just trying to learn and apply common sense.

 

[Double Barrel]

They don't have that kind of time. Look at the Reliant calendar and you'll see Disney on Ice, Monster trucks, etc. for months on end. That's not even counting HS & College games.

I tried that last week, but the NRG Stadium event calendar would not reveal which events are specific to the stadium versus the rest of the complex.

I was curious about the specific events from August through January.

I see the Disney on Ice in November, so that negates a semi perma-field for those months....for that one event.

But beyond the Disney thing and some college/HS games, I'm not seeing the stadium itself being so booked that a workable solution cannot be figured out to alleviate the pallet system. Just move Disney to another compatable month.

I know the monster truck, rodeo, circus, motocross, etc., are all during the spring and summer months, so those are not a problem for scheduling.

 

[disaacks3]

But beyond the Disney thing and some college/HS games, I'm not seeing the stadium itself being so booked that a workable solution cannot be figured out to alleviate the pallet system. Just move Disney to another compatable month.

I know the monster truck, rodeo, circus, motocross, etc., are all during the spring and summer months, so those are not a problem for scheduling.

Here's glance at the schedule and why we can't just "grow grass" inside. Easier to see what's scheduled at NRG via Ticketmaster.

Link

Nov 1
Sat Stephen F Austin State University Jacks Football vs. Sam Houston State Football 03:00 PM

Nov 12
Wed Disney On Ice presents Princesses & Heroes Presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt
07:30 PM

Nov 16
Sun Disney On Ice presents Princesses & Heroes Presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt
05:30 PM

Dec 6
Sat SWAC Championship
4.6 out of 5 stars (56)
03:00 PM

Those are some DURING the season, there are far more in the off-season.

 

[infantrycak]

How many stadiums still have baseball infields? I saw quite a few players dealing with that impediment during the game, one with a particularly sympathetic pain in the groin inducing involuntary splits from one foot sliding out from under him.

 

[ChampionTexan]

How many stadiums still have baseball infields? I saw quite a few players dealing with that impediment during the game, one with a particularly sympathetic pain in the groin inducing involuntary splits from one foot sliding out from under him.

From Wikipedia:

O.co Coliseum – originally known as and still referred to as the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, and commonly Oakland Coliseum – is a multi-purpose stadium, located in Oakland, California, in the Coliseum Industrial area. It is the only multi-purpose stadium left to serve as a full-time home to both a Major League Baseball team (the Oakland Athletics) and a National Football League team (the Oakland Raiders) in the United States.

link

 

[painekiller]

I have watched an early installation. You're looking at the thin galvanized metal pallets from the side.......all 4 sides are flat, smooth and identical. The 2 large side holes are for the fork lifts and the smaller ones near the bottom are for distributing air and heat.

You will note in this TIME LAPSE INSTALLATION that the pallets are pushed into place without the need for additional human assistance (installation is always started from a stable perimeter wall to initially line up the pallets). EDIT: Keep in mind that the fork lift platforms of these particular forklifts can move from right to left, for more efficient positioning. Locking mechanisms are not included, this would make both installation and disassembly honerous and nightmarish and are felt to be unnecessary......once in place, these pallets don't accidentally move........they weigh~3500 pounds a piece.

Did any of you watch the time lapse video on the link, when it was over another video caught my eye.

It happens to show how the Texans Stadium installed the grass for the soccer match in 2010, looks like a bad way to handle the field.

I seem to remember during the Super Bowl the team had to use rolls of grass because the NFL did not like the tray systems look on TV.

 

[Double Barrel]

Here's glance at the schedule and why we can't just "grow grass" inside. Easier to see what's scheduled at NRG via Ticketmaster.

Link

Those are some DURING the season, there are far more in the off-season.

So two football events and two Disney ice events.

I'd think that a perma-field could withstand some additional football games on it. And the ice events, either move those to Toyota Center or book them after January.

The point is to remove the pallet seams altogether. With those gone, I do not see where anyone could complain about the field if it's real grass. And modern tech can definitely grow grass indoors, especially with mobile lights and water systems.

When paying pro athletes the kind of money they are making now, I'd think ensuring the field is the best it can be is more important than making some extra money from a Disney ice event.