Friday, November 30, 2007
The end of natural grass at Heinz Field?
While watching the Monday night game between the Dolphins and the Steelers, I started to wonder whether the sloppy field on display will force the Pittsburgh management to install artificial turf on their field. Considering that this field also plays home to the Pittsburgh Panthers, one could see the allure of moving to artificial turf, especially since the field was supposedly resodded just a couple of weeks ago. While the move to turf is logical, it was a joy to see players thrash around in the mud, bringing an air of humanity to the sterility brought about by FieldTurf and the like. Yes, artificial turf has low maintenance costs. Yes, the playing surface remains sound even in terrible rains. But there is a beauty that cannot be defined to a natural playing surface. The mud and grass stains, the turf in the helmet reinforce the organic nature of football.
Ben Rothlisberger was asked about the possibility of installing artificial turf at Heinz Field when he appeared on PTI. While he carefully straddled the issue, he did indicate how the Steelers liked the advantage that the natural turf field provided them in a league that has increasingly moved to the plasticized fields. I hope that a single game on a non-ideal playing surface will not force the Steelers to move yet another stadium away from the beauty of a natural turf field.
Interestingly enough, it appears that baseball has largely moved away from artificial turf. Except for the indoor fields at SkyDome, Metrodome, and Tropicana Field, all other baseball stadiums have moved to natural grass. The lower wear-and-tear experienced on a baseball playing field and the nostalgia of baseball make grass a more appropriate playing surface. Hopefully, football will find a way to either maintain natural turf fields in better conditions or embrace the imperfections that are inherent in natural surfaces.
Ben Rothlisberger was asked about the possibility of installing artificial turf at Heinz Field when he appeared on PTI. While he carefully straddled the issue, he did indicate how the Steelers liked the advantage that the natural turf field provided them in a league that has increasingly moved to the plasticized fields. I hope that a single game on a non-ideal playing surface will not force the Steelers to move yet another stadium away from the beauty of a natural turf field.
Interestingly enough, it appears that baseball has largely moved away from artificial turf. Except for the indoor fields at SkyDome, Metrodome, and Tropicana Field, all other baseball stadiums have moved to natural grass. The lower wear-and-tear experienced on a baseball playing field and the nostalgia of baseball make grass a more appropriate playing surface. Hopefully, football will find a way to either maintain natural turf fields in better conditions or embrace the imperfections that are inherent in natural surfaces.
