Comments on: Time to say farewell to the field at FedEx Field

By: w1thinreason

w1thinreason — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 23:20:32 +0000

That would all be a great idea… except for the fact that artificial surfaces have much higher incidences of ankle and knee injuries than natural surfaces.

By: gopackgocausecowboysblow

gopackgocausecowboysblow — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 21:54:01 +0000

Give me a break RG3 is not the most important player since Sammy Baugh! What about John Riggins or Joe Theisman (who by the way suffered a way uglier injury) In fact RG3 has a long way to go catch the most famous Washington Redskin, that being Vince Lombardi, if the Coach would have had more time the Redskins would be held in the same regard as the Packers for the number of NFL and Superbowl titles they would have.

By: yourmomcalled

yourmomcalled — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 21:06:09 +0000

seattlecoug says:
Jan 9, 2013 10:58 AM
I like how one of the arguments is “if they put in Field Turf, European soccer players won’t come and play over here…..” — who cares? Soccer is stupid anyway. Stay in Europe and play for 90 minutes to a “nil-nil” draw. Soccer is lame.
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Over 3.5 billion fans, that’s who cares.

By: cometkazie

cometkazie — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:43:01 +0000

Weren’t the Redskins the last NFL team to integrate?

Seems as if resistance to needed change is ingrained.

By: giantsfan2104

giantsfan2104 — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:34:21 +0000

benacci says: Jan 9, 2013 10:03 AM

What type of field does the Giants/Jets use? I don’t remember ever seeing it in bad shape, and it has a game there almost every week during season right?
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Metlife uses FieldTurf. The old stadium originally used Astroturf, they switched to grass in 2000, then to FieldTurf in ’03.

By: theclaim

theclaim — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:14:58 +0000

Yeah 3 ACLs is correct reporting, due to the field? Nope Adrian had Dejon Gomes go THROUGH his knee sideways. Clemons( get better Cris) was engaged with a blocker and RG was hurt hitting the ground twisting. Get it right or leave your opinion out.

By: cwaldo5252

cwaldo5252 — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:09:42 +0000

I would love to see everyone saying the field should have been minted better grow grass in December there. Remember, that is the original field from the preseason, it hosted 13 games this season. Don’t blame the grounds crew, blame whoever didn’t want it resoded. A hybrid field is definitely the way to go but the bashing of the grounds crew needs to stop. I can promise you, no one coil have done anything to help that field but resod and the groundskeeper doesn’t get the final say in that, he only recommends it.

By: sammythehair

sammythehair — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:04:40 +0000

Brady has a bad shoulder? Rothlesburger also? Manning played with that bad neck a couple years ago just to name a few, you are hypocrites! Fact: not one nfl coach would’ve pulled rg3! Only place to argue would be continuing with rollout a and running, shudda kept him in pocket! These are men! And since it wasn’t a concussion, had a clear mind to make his own determination! As cousins stunk it up when he went in, was a good choice!

By: theclaim

theclaim — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 18:57:30 +0000

Check the status of any grass football field in week 18!

By: S.Nevada

S.Nevada — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:57:36 +0000

Desso would work..It’s used in the US, England, Brazil, Italy, Spain, South Africa etc..

If high value soccer knees can cut and run on it, and places like philly, GB, and denver can use it, it can be used in Landover.

By: batesbruce

batesbruce — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:48:51 +0000

“It’s definitely done, now. Given owner Daniel Snyder’s fondness for hosting college football games and concerts at the facility, it’s time to switch to an artificial surface.”

Mike, can you please show us the study that says turf fields are better than torn up dirt or grass fields for player safety? Maybe before we jump to conclusions we might look for some data?

Also, you are great at reporting news. That’s why we love this site. But it would be great if you posted your editorials separately and not mixed the two. We don’t need another journalist who fancies himself a ‘kingmaker’ or a ‘shaper’ of the sport he covers. This is why guys like Costas have endured. Even when we disagree with him it is clear when he is opining and when he is reporting. Boundaries please.

By: steeld34

steeld34 — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:41:23 +0000

With D.C. being in the transition zone, I don’t think it can handle the same grass as Philly & Green Bay as some has suggested, the bluegrass would burn up in the summer, it is a cool season grass. Fed Ex field is 419 bermudagrass that is overseeded with rye from what I’ve researched. The rye provides no stability just color for looks. Not sure what the panthers do but they may want to ask them. Their bermudagrass field is always in good shape with the same climate.

By: tiger2471

tiger2471 — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:27:09 +0000

As a Skins fan, that is very embarrassing! How could your team be worth $1.3 billion and you have a dirt field?! Unbelievable!

By: jelliot1978

jelliot1978 — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:13:47 +0000

@seattlecoug
It is not just the European Soccer players that don’t want to play on turf but the USSF has not held a meaningful game on a turf field. Seattle wants to host a major game but can’t at this point. As to who cares? You do realize that going to turf on all NFL stadiums will practically guarantee that the US never hosts a World Cup. Now because you are close minded you won’t care, but you fail to see the value of hosting a World Cup. It brings in a lot of money. The US infrastructure makes it so they have to spend less than other countries to get an event like this up and running. So if you spend less you make more. Other countries need to build or renovate stadiums (yes plural) where as we just sell tickets.

To the debate about Turf vs Natural as many others have pointed out some of the better cold weather fields are using the blend (GB and Philly). The argument about how many events are held there is a weak one as Philly holds a large amount of events as well. They typically hold 16 football games a year between the Eagles, Temple and the Army Navy game as well as concerts and other events.

Maybe the NFL should rank the playing surfaces so they can see where they stand? If GB gets a higher value than Pittsburgh maybe Pittsburgh would look more towards GB as a model. Keep domes and open air in separate categories.

By: tvguy22

tvguy22 — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:52:14 +0000

Carl Spackler has some thoughts:

This is a cross, ah, Bluegrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, Featherbed Bent, and Northern California Sensemilia. The amazing stuff about this is, that you can play 36 holes on it in the afternoon, take it home and just get stoned to the bejeezus-belt that night on this stuff. Here, I’ve got pounds of this.

By: 3yrsnfl

3yrsnfl — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:40:41 +0000

Lambeau has steam pipes underneath just like the stadiums in Europe that are played on all winter.
I like seeing dirty uniforms and grass stuck in facemasks! You can tell how hard guys are playing, unless your QB has dirt covering his number on his back.

By: anthonyverna

anthonyverna — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:17:32 +0000

Can’t the grass field just be better?

By: riseabovecancer

riseabovecancer — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:17:03 +0000

I have seen alot worse fields then that… Arrowhead Stadium was just like that back in the 90′s Derrick Thomas was alive…The Kansas City Chiefs playing the Oakland Raiders…Its pouring down rain. They had to postpone the game for 25 minutes because the field was flooded and its still pouring down rain…And the day after the game…You want to talk about a freaking mess…They ground crew said think goodness the next game is away…Because they said it took them 2 weeks to get that field fixed and thousands and thousands of dollars later

By: lrowley

lrowley — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:13:48 +0000

You would think, if nothing else, Dan Schneider would at least want his field to LOOK good. Holy cow, this was a nationally broadcast event, the only game on TV in that time slot for the whole nation! If I’m hosting a party at my house, I want everything as perfect as I can get it. This was just negligence on Schneider’s part, not wanting to put the money into the field. It’s not like he doesn’t have the money, but like a lot of people with big money, they are cheap. I can’t seem to wrap my head around it. I’ve said for years, the Redskin’s problem is Dan Schneider, nothing else.

By: seattlecoug

seattlecoug — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:58:51 +0000

I like how one of the arguments is “if they put in Field Turf, European soccer players won’t come and play over here…..” — who cares? Soccer is stupid anyway. Stay in Europe and play for 90 minutes to a “nil-nil” draw. Soccer is lame.

By: polapea

polapea — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:51:24 +0000

Chris Clemmons hates the field also.

By: nolanwiffle

nolanwiffle — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:48:20 +0000

“Most important player since Sammy Baugh? The superlatives for a rookie just keep rolling out. Griffin one day may be that important, but for now I think I’d have to put him behind people like Sonny Jurgensen, John Riggins and Art Monk… You know, guys who actually accomplished stuff instead of just having potential.”
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Thank you for saying that. What an insult to the Redskins of the past. Florio, would you remind us all of who was the NFL MVP in 1972? Probably a pretty important figure.

I like Griffin as much as the next guy, but some perspective please.

By: cheddarrob

cheddarrob — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:44:46 +0000

Lol why is it that 95% of the football population bashes the Redskins? I guess only ACL tears happen on natural grass. Need we forget some stadiums collapsing such as the Vikings? That’s not important though.

By: rpiotr01

rpiotr01 — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:43:32 +0000

You don’t need that FieldTurf crap. Do what they did with Lambeau Field – DD Grassmaster. Kentucky bluegrass with synthetic fibers sewn in every half inch. With proper drainage it holds up incredibly well.

It’s a disgrace that the second or third most valuable franchise in the league can’t spend the coin on a proper field. And frankly the same goes for the Steelers, one of the most important franchises in the league. They make enough money, spend the resources to make sure you have a proper playing surface for your climate.

By: commonsensedude

commonsensedude — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:37:38 +0000

FedEx Field should be renamed “The ACL Arena”

By: escapedconvict

escapedconvict — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:34:10 +0000

The field told Shanahan that it was okay, so Shanahan has decided to let the field stay in.

By: bushwoodcc

bushwoodcc — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:25:41 +0000

This is a problem common on many fields that can see cold weather in Nov/Dec/Jan. A couple good frosts…cold temps and the grass dies. Then it gets played on and gets chewed up. But no one really notices until you are playing in January, or are in the hunt in December. Gilette Stadiums grass field would get so torn up during December that they would have to paint the dirt in the middle of the field green. It was one thing to fight and stay with natural grass when the alternative was that crappy astro-turf (essentially putting a carpet on concrete), but with the way todays field turf perfoms there is no reason for professional teams not to utilize it (excepting teams in in Southern California, FL, etc).

By: mullman76

mullman76 — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:24:35 +0000

Epic fail by Shanahan and Snyder should be fined. The condition of the field was horrendous and the fact that he allows so many other events on that “turf” only speaks to his greed.

I hope RG3 comes back strong, I’m sure he will. It’s just too bad he had to shred his knee for NOTHING. Redskins fans thought they were so close- one step forward, two steps back.

At least you know Cousins can play…

By: gstoner42

gstoner42 — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:22:28 +0000

Where is George Toma when you need him?

By: dowhatifeellike

dowhatifeellike — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:20:17 +0000

Artificial surfaces aren’t without their problems; a number of years ago the Eagles had to rush to get their carpet down for a preseason game, did a poor job, and the Ravens refused to play on it.

That said, the new artificial/live grass blends being installed in recent years seem to be holding up really well. They stay down 24/7/365 like real turf but are much more resilient and less problematic if a section needs to be replaced.