Obligatory Heinz Field turf complaint thread

[JohnnyO]

Anybody else notice that the turf seemed to be getting ripped up pretty easily last week?

[Steelerman]

It seemed to look fine for the Pitt game.

[SteelerinMD]

maybe we should talk about the pros and cons of field turf and if the players, coaches and/or FO are in to it?

[Hines57]

Wait until after the high school playoffs to shoot the dog and install field turf.

[Steelerman]

I guess that would be one good thing about Druckenmiller being the owner. He could buy a new field with pocket change.

[JEFFRO]

I like grass!

[Diamond Dave]

It seemed to look fine for the Pitt game.

That's because no one played on it.

[Stryker]

Guess what? When is the last time one of our players had a significant knee ligament injury on our home turf? Last one I can remember is woodson, which is why we installed grass. Ligament damage can still happen on grass, it is just much less common because the grass and soil gives when Turf does not.

[blitzburgh418]

i thought the players all told dan rooney they preferred real grass

[BermudaSteel]

I don't mind the grass...I just hope they can invest in a better tarping system to keep the excessive water off the field. The Mud Bowl was ridiculous.

[Jitter]

I think the problem is we have too many games on the turf between the panthers, steelers, and the HS champ games. I just dont think the grass can handle a Panther home game followed by a Steeler home game the next day. It would be nice if Pitt got their own stadium that would give the grass at least a week to recover and there would be a lot less problems. I think its a thrill for the HS players to play on an NFL field so I wouldnt want to see that taken away. Pitt should be able to afford their own stadium although if they keep playing like they did that may change.....

[Callipygiad]

It would be nice if Pitt got a football team first...

[FAB802]

If they'd fix the damn field Mendenhall would quit fumbling and Sweed wouldn't already be a bust.

[BillvinCowbert]

Guess what? When is the last time one of our players had a significant knee ligament injury on our home turf? Last one I can remember is woodson, which is why we installed grass. Ligament damage can still happen on grass, it is just much less common because the grass and soil gives when Turf does not.

Umm, last year, Kreider vs Miami.

[NC STEEL]

If the forescast is correct the tarp is going to get a heck of a test this weekend with the reminants of Hannah. Unless the rain hits during the game.

[hukfinn]

It was very easy to see that the field surface is horrid again this year. I went to both preseason games and it wasn't all that great for the first one and now it's well on it's way to big bare spots. They should just let some of the local weedy lawns take over, it'd be much tougher. The grass outside the stadium towards the river takes a much more brutal beating and with a lot less care, it's in better shape than what the ground crew has inside.
From what I can see with 7X35 binocs from about 10 rows up, the "grass" comes up easier than a divot on a par 3 course. And it doesn't grow back. Too much sandy soil underneath. Mix in some river valley clay and mud and fix the dang field.

[Far51]

Dan Rooney will not install Field turf!!!

[JohnnyO]

They should just let some of the local weedy lawns take over, it'd be much tougher.
The only green in my yard now is the weeds and crabgrass. Went to the rib cook-off yesterday, the stadium lower level was open. Field looked good then but Thursday night I could see chunks of turf coming up all over.
It's typically shot by Thanksgiving anyway. I don't know that the high school games make it any worse than it already is at that point. High school players weigh a lot less than NFL players.

[Steelerman]

I went to both preseason games and it wasn't all that great for the first one


Interesting, because I was at the first one and it looked immaculate. After all, it was brand freakin' new.

[SteelerFan448]

Interesting, because I was at the first one and it looked immaculate. After all, it was brand freakin' new.

It looked great after the second one too. It will be fine until the weather goes down hill and the HS teams play on it. However, I still feel better about the traction on our field when it is ripped up than on FieldTurf. Between the preseason and the start of the college football season, I have seen a good number of injuries because of players spikes sticking in the FieldTurf.

[Vader]

Look at the field when Reid falls down trying to return a punt in the Panther game. You can see chunks of the field chewed up. In a few weeks it will turn into a mud hole... again....

[Jitter]

It would be nice if Pitt got a football team first...

lol true...I went to ST. Vincent though and a couple yrs after I graduated they got a football program back and they lost to a team from a school of deaf and blind students. Obviously they werent blind, but they were deaf and could only communicate via hand signals.

Anyways I think the problem is the grass doesnt get a chance to root properly. I really dont know what the solution is, but they had all summer to culture grass. You would think that as much money as they put into making a stadium that the actual field would be a priority and with the technology today they should come up with something.

[StuartSteelerFan]

The turf was never used properly in Pittsburgh....