Purists may disagree

[Chairman Moe]

but the time is now to replace the natural grass surface @ Acrisure with an artificial one.

1) Anyone who watched the Steelers game on Sunday saw how unstable the turf was (looks like they over-sodded portions of the field)

2) There is another Steelers home game on Thursday - will be interesting to see if more plays include unstable footing

3) Pitt has a home game this Saturday; two days later. Not accounting for the weather this week, after Saturday the field will be a disaster and may need further re-sodding

4) WPIAL football championship games to be played there, too, this month

It's probably been debated and discussed here ad nauseam. My "choice" if I were to be asked would be the turf that Notre Dame uses. I didn't see any plays on Saturday where that surface seemed unsafe

Here is a link to their choice ... https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/news/notre-dame-stadium-fieldturf/

 

[Fk_Pitt]

but the time is now to replace the natural grass surface @ Acrisure with an artificial one.

1) Anyone who watched the Steelers game on Sunday saw how unstable the turf was (looks like they over-sodded portions of the field)

2) There is another Steelers home game on Thursday - will be interesting to see if more plays include unstable footing

3) Pitt has a home game this Saturday; two days later. Not accounting for the weather this week, after Saturday the field will be a disaster and may need further re-sodding

4) WPIAL football championship games to be played there, too, this month

It's probably been debated and discussed here ad nauseam. My "choice" if I were to be asked would be the turf that Notre Dame uses. I didn't see any plays on Saturday where that surface seemed unsafe

Here is a link to their choice ... https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/news/notre-dame-stadium-fieldturf/

Dionte Johnson used up the worlds quota of slips on grass in Sunday alone.

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

but the time is now to replace the natural grass surface @ Acrisure with an artificial one.

1) Anyone who watched the Steelers game on Sunday saw how unstable the turf was (looks like they over-sodded portions of the field)

2) There is another Steelers home game on Thursday - will be interesting to see if more plays include unstable footing

3) Pitt has a home game this Saturday; two days later. Not accounting for the weather this week, after Saturday the field will be a disaster and may need further re-sodding

4) WPIAL football championship games to be played there, too, this month

It's probably been debated and discussed here ad nauseam. My "choice" if I were to be asked would be the turf that Notre Dame uses. I didn't see any plays on Saturday where that surface seemed unsafe

Here is a link to their choice ... https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/news/notre-dame-stadium-fieldturf/

The turf at Sofi and AT&T stadiums is easily the best looking. I can't stand that dark looking turf and the ground up tire pieces.

That being said, Heinz has been pretty good for a while after some early issues. I hope the field is a pile of mud and dirt for the game against FSU on Saturday. It can only help us.

 

[upj87]

but the time is now to replace the natural grass surface @ Acrisure with an artificial one.

1) Anyone who watched the Steelers game on Sunday saw how unstable the turf was (looks like they over-sodded portions of the field)

2) There is another Steelers home game on Thursday - will be interesting to see if more plays include unstable footing

3) Pitt has a home game this Saturday; two days later. Not accounting for the weather this week, after Saturday the field will be a disaster and may need further re-sodding

4) WPIAL football championship games to be played there, too, this month

It's probably been debated and discussed here ad nauseam. My "choice" if I were to be asked would be the turf that Notre Dame uses. I didn't see any plays on Saturday where that surface seemed unsafe

Here is a link to their choice ... https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/news/notre-dame-stadium-fieldturf/

field is fine on dry days...slippery on wet ones...Just the way God intended...weather should be a factor in football.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

I believe I just read that the NFLPA is fighting to get rid of artificial turf. How they’d do that in a domed Minnesota for example I have no clue. Didn’t dive that deep. But the players don’t wanna play on artificial surfaces.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

i'd be curious to see if the "latest" artificial turf is safer than natural grass with injuries with knees and ankles. we all have seen studies showing grass is better but im assuming that was using the older artificial turf and not this new stuff that basically looks like grass..

 

[Upg bobcat]

i'd be curious to see if the "latest" artificial turf is safer than natural grass with injuries with knees and ankles. we all have seen studies showing grass is better but im assuming that was using the older artificial turf and not this new stuff that basically looks like grass..

My understanding is that the new artificial turf is "too good" -- the footing is so strong and you can cut so well on it that a planted foot gets trapped when bodies start hitting you and and then your joints get pulled in ways they are not meant to be pulled. I get that it looks like grass, but I doubt it is safer.

 

[OH Pete]

I believe I just read that the NFLPA is fighting to get rid of artificial turf. How they’d do that in a domed Minnesota for example I have no clue. Didn’t dive that deep. But the players don’t wanna play on artificial surfaces.

Yep. The NFLPA said that artificial surfaces increase player non-contact injuries by 28% and they want it banned.

 

[Burgh15]

The Steelers players have consistently said they don't want turf. The NFLPA wants to ban turf fields and have all stadiums with natural grass surfaces. It isn't happening.

 

[Hardslider21]

The turf at Sofi and AT&T stadiums is easily the best looking. I can't stand that dark looking turf and the ground up tire pieces.

That being said, Heinz has been pretty good for a while after some early issues. I hope the field is a pile of mud and dirt for the game against FSU on Saturday. It can only help us.

Yeah I’m not a big fan of player’s get a thousand rubber pellets in the face

 

[Hardslider21]

I believe I just read that the NFLPA is fighting to get rid of artificial turf. How they’d do that in a domed Minnesota for example I have no clue. Didn’t dive that deep. But the players don’t wanna play on artificial surfaces.

The same way they do it Las Vegas & Arizona. The field is on a track that goes outside for maintenance, sunlight so they can use it events.

 

[The Ole Six-Fiver]

They don’t care what the players think, whatever stats that the sod lobby fed to the NFLPA, how their best offensive player (the kicker!) almost broke his ankle on the second half kickoff, or how crappy the field looks and performs. They don’t care. They have grass because the dead old man, who was once brilliant but half-senile at the time they built the place, insisted that they always have grass (and to paint stupid ND stripes in the end zone). That’s 100% why they have it and will always keep it. Well, except for replacing it 8 times a fall.

 

[rmf05]

We need turf because Johnson sucks?

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

The same way they do it Las Vegas & Arizona. The field is on a track that goes outside for maintenance, sunlight so they can use it events.

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Well that certainly crossed my mind. I just don’t have any idea if that’s feasible. Vegas and Zona were designed that way.

 

[Chairman Moe]

Well that certainly crossed my mind. I just don’t have any idea if that’s feasible. Vegas and Zona were designed that way.

If you think about it, certain regions/climates of the country lend themselves to having a grass field versus field turf (artificial). I know that some will point to Cleveland or Green Bay and say, "they have grass", but neither of those fields see any other use than by the NFL teams. The amount of play that exists at Acrisure Stadium (nee, Heinz Field) is more than double when you add in the WPIAL games played in November. And for as long as I can recall, the field surface at our stadium has sucked. Remember the punt (I think it was a night game vs the Jags) that stayed in its own pitch mark??!

Another thing to consider, FWIW, the Steelers were pretty damn successful playing at Three Rivers when it had Tartan Turf.

I am not lobbying for a domed stadium; ever. But field turf makes sense. The NFLPA can say what they will; injuries happen for many reasons other than the field surface, and they can and do happen on natural grass.

 

[Cap pitt]

but the time is now to replace the natural grass surface @ Acrisure with an artificial one.

1) Anyone who watched the Steelers game on Sunday saw how unstable the turf was (looks like they over-sodded portions of the field)

2) There is another Steelers home game on Thursday - will be interesting to see if more plays include unstable footing

3) Pitt has a home game this Saturday; two days later. Not accounting for the weather this week, after Saturday the field will be a disaster and may need further re-sodding

4) WPIAL football championship games to be played there, too, this month

It's probably been debated and discussed here ad nauseam. My "choice" if I were to be asked would be the turf that Notre Dame uses. I didn't see any plays on Saturday where that surface seemed unsafe

Here is a link to their choice ... https://www.on3.com/teams/notre-dame-fighting-irish/news/notre-dame-stadium-fieldturf/

I doubt if they do, schools, wpial, piaa and other organizations are talking about replacing artificial surfaces for real grass to cut down on concussions

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

I doubt if they do, schools, wpial, piaa and other organizations are talking about replacing artificial surfaces for real grass to cut down on concussions

the wpial and the PIAA are going to pay for school districts who've just invested in hundreds of thousands of dollars to install artificial turf to tear it up and put in grass again? They gonna pay for this?

For some reason, i dont think the wpial or PIAA has any say in what a district does with their stadiums.

 

[pittdan77]

Any time I hear, "The NFLPA wants...", I automatically assume that it's probably something they'd prefer but would be willing to use as a negotiating tool, too.

The way the NFL tries to control every aspect of their business, it has surprised me that they haven't forced every club into a uniform surface. If for no other reason than to keep the gambling crowd happy. The biggest issue with grass is that it is terribly inconsistent. I understand the injury argument, to a degree, but we've saw a couple of the same injuries on grass this weekend.

I think the heating system under Acrisure sometimes makes things worse, to be honest. The fact that they have to rip up middle of the field a couple of times a year and put new sod down, along with a butt load of sand, just makes everything worse. If the field is going to see that much use, the Steelers (yeah, I know the stadium authority is the real owner) need to give up the BS and put in a more consistent surface.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

The biggest issue with grass is that it is terribly inconsistent.

Yeah, I would be curious to see some type of injury analysis for when the grass is wet/muddy, frozen, etc. It can't possibly be uniform across the board. I would think there are times grass is safer and times field turf is safer, but I don't know.

I saw something on 60 Minutes - or one of those shows - years ago where they were saying cancer rates among high school soccer goalies who played on the field turf made of recycled tires and whatnot were extremely high. Presumably because they were diving on it and whatnot. But I haven't seen any follow-up on it.

 

[pittdan77]

Yeah, I would be curious to see some type of injury analysis for when the grass is wet/muddy, frozen, etc. It can't possibly be uniform across the board. I would think there are times grass is safer and times field turf is safer, but I don't know.

I saw something on 60 Minutes - or one of those shows - years ago where they were saying cancer rates among high school soccer goalies who played on the field turf made of recycled tires and whatnot were extremely high. Presumably because they were diving on it and whatnot. But I haven't seen any follow-up on it.

The problem with doing a comparison is that there are a ton of variables that are always in motion, right down to what footwear a team chooses. Honestly, I can't imagine a slippery grass surface is great for your knees and ankles. This is totally random but one of the most injury filled games I every witnessed occurred on a grass HS field that wasn't maintained very well. There were three major injuries that required players to have surgery. All of them were non-contact. There were also several minor injuries that cost playing time. Game was stopped at halftime because one team was out of skill players.

I don't know this for certain but do they still install those fields? The school right down the street from work just put a turf field in and they don't have anything like that.

 

[TheSpecialSauce]

the wpial and the PIAA are going to pay for school districts who've just invested in hundreds of thousands of dollars to install artificial turf to tear it up and put in grass again? They gonna pay for this?

For some reason, i dont think the wpial or PIAA has any say in what a district does with their stadiums.

Just about every school above the Single A level has some sort of field turf. There are so many different sports from the youth level up to high school that use those fields that there is no way the large majority of them are going back to grass.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

The problem with doing a comparison is that there are a ton of variables that are always in motion, right down to what footwear a team chooses. Honestly, I can't imagine a slippery grass surface is great for your knees and ankles. This is totally random but one of the most injury filled games I every witnessed occurred on a grass HS field that wasn't maintained very well. There were three major injuries that required players to have surgery. All of them were non-contact. There were also several minor injuries that cost playing time. Game was stopped at halftime because one team was out of skill players.

I don't know this for certain but do they still install those fields? The school right down the street from work just put a turf field in and they don't have anything like that.

I'm not sure. I know they're still out there, because you see the stuff kick up from time to time. I thought that was supposed to be innovative turf with some give that made it safer. I'm not even sure what they use now. I assume it's not the same stuff that gobbled up Woodson in '95, haha.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

Just about every school above the Single A level has some sort of field turf. There are so many different sports from the youth level up to high school that use those fields that there is no way the large majority of them are going back to grass.

i agree, soccer, band, football, lacrosse now, it just makes sense. i dont think knee injuries are all that much of a concern at the high school level.

 

[LeftCoastPanther]

I always see the Steelers slipping at home and not the opponent, which is so odd.

I'm not surprised by anything I see from the franchise these days. It's so stale.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

I always see the Steelers slipping at home and not the opponent, which is so odd.

I'm not surprised by anything I see from the franchise these days. It's so stale.

i actually like Dionte Johnson but dude cant take 3 steps forward without slipping. not just last week but every time. him falling in i believe the second drive almost cost us a pick 6. remember a few times last year too..

dude needs to figure out his cleat situation..

 

[Chairman Moe]

The way the NFL tries to control every aspect of their business, it has surprised me that they haven't forced every club into a uniform surface. If for no other reason than to keep the gambling crowd happy. The biggest issue with grass is that it is terribly inconsistent.

I hadn't thought about the gambling aspect, but that certainly has merit. Agree with the inconsistency of grass; the deep South has Bermuda and in Pittsburgh I'm pretty sure it's Blue

I think the heating system under Acrisure sometimes makes things worse, to be honest. The fact that they have to rip up middle of the field a couple of times a year and put new sod down, along with a butt load of sand, just makes everything worse. If the field is going to see that much use, the Steelers (yeah, I know the stadium authority is the real owner) need to give up the BS and put in a more consistent surface.

I was unaware that there's a heating system under the field. That explains volumes

 

[President Stache]

i'd be curious to see if the "latest" artificial turf is safer than natural grass with injuries with knees and ankles. we all have seen studies showing grass is better but im assuming that was using the older artificial turf and not this new stuff that basically looks like grass..

There are just as many studies that show artificial turf is better than grass.

As an engineer, it absolutely infuriates me when ass clowns like Kelsey talk with no data about injuries. You have grass, which is planted, dirt, we all know what it is. And artificial turf, which is engineered for performance, can be a mixture of sand/crumb rubber or sand/cork/coconut shell or even corn husk or other engineered plastics. Drainage is designed in, it saves joints, performance is better, contact injuries are light years better. They claim non-contact injuries are worse, but the only studies I have seen that shows that are sponsored by pennington seed, so obvious bias. Plus, artificial turf is far better for the environment, does not use pesticides, greening agents, weed killers, sprays, massive amounts of water, and real grass has more PFAS 'forever chemicals' than synthetic turf has. It is basically a slam dunk. I have no idea why Field Turf, astroturf and TenCate dont do more marketing in player safety data and environmental impact studies.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

There are just as many studies that show artificial turf is better than grass.

As an engineer, it absolutely infuriates me when ass clowns like Kelsey talk with no data about injuries. You have grass, which is planted, dirt, we all know what it is. And artificial turf, which is engineered for performance, can be a mixture of sand/crumb rubber or sand/cork/coconut shell or even corn husk or other engineered plastics. Drainage is designed in, it saves joints, performance is better, contact injuries are light years better. They claim non-contact injuries are worse, but the only studies I have seen that shows that are sponsored by pennington seed, so obvious bias. Plus, artificial turf is far better for the environment, does not use pesticides, greening agents, weed killers, sprays, massive amounts of water, and real grass has more PFAS 'forever chemicals' than synthetic turf has. It is basically a slam dunk. I have no idea why Field Turf, astroturf and TenCate dont do more marketing in player safety data and environmental impact studies.

Very informative post. Always wondered about the rubber pellets. Years ago they used to say there would be an increase in cancer down the road, but honestly how would they know that? Long term data certainly isn’t available.

 

[Chairman Moe]

There are just as many studies that show artificial turf is better than grass.

As an engineer, it absolutely infuriates me when ass clowns like Kelsey talk with no data about injuries. You have grass, which is planted, dirt, we all know what it is. And artificial turf, which is engineered for performance, can be a mixture of sand/crumb rubber or sand/cork/coconut shell or even corn husk or other engineered plastics. Drainage is designed in, it saves joints, performance is better, contact injuries are light years better. They claim non-contact injuries are worse, but the only studies I have seen that shows that are sponsored by pennington seed, so obvious bias. Plus, artificial turf is far better for the environment, does not use pesticides, greening agents, weed killers, sprays, massive amounts of water, and real grass has more PFAS 'forever chemicals' than synthetic turf has. It is basically a slam dunk. I have no idea why Field Turf, astroturf and TenCate dont do more marketing in player safety data and environmental impact studies.

Stache, as I mentioned in the OP, if you consider that Notre Dame - perhaps the most storied and tradition-laden NCAA DI football program out there - has chosen Field Turf as their surface, it must have merit. OSU and Michigan also use a synthetic field surface. All three are similarly situated (geographically) to Pittsburgh. Is it the Rooneys who are being so resistant? The owners of Acrisure Stadium?

 

[The Ole Six-Fiver]

Is it the Rooneys who are being so resistant? The owners of Acrisure Stadium?

The Rooneys.
Namely the ghost of Dan.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

There are just as many studies that show artificial turf is better than grass.

As an engineer, it absolutely infuriates me when ass clowns like Kelsey talk with no data about injuries. You have grass, which is planted, dirt, we all know what it is. And artificial turf, which is engineered for performance, can be a mixture of sand/crumb rubber or sand/cork/coconut shell or even corn husk or other engineered plastics. Drainage is designed in, it saves joints, performance is better, contact injuries are light years better. They claim non-contact injuries are worse, but the only studies I have seen that shows that are sponsored by pennington seed, so obvious bias. Plus, artificial turf is far better for the environment, does not use pesticides, greening agents, weed killers, sprays, massive amounts of water, and real grass has more PFAS 'forever chemicals' than synthetic turf has. It is basically a slam dunk. I have no idea why Field Turf, astroturf and TenCate dont do more marketing in player safety data and environmental impact studies.

The NFL's own studies show there are fewer injuries on grass. A couple year ago the numbers almost got to even, but it's widen back up the last year or two.