The Baltimore Ravens have announced that they’ve installed a new field at their home stadium.
Hopefully, it’ll properly cushion the fall when a fan runs across the grass and is Tasered by a police officer. Or tackled by Ray Lewis. Or Tasered by Ray Lewis.
The product is “Momentum 51” from Shaw Sportexe. According to the 2009 Record & Fact Book, the playing surface last season was “Sportexe Momentum.” So they’re upgrading to a new product.
“One of the reasons we selected ‘Momentum 51′ is that it plays well in a variety of competition,” said Roy Sommerhof, Ravens’ vice president of stadium operations. “It holds up with 300-pound offensive linemen digging in and with fast-moving games like lacrosse and soccer. Competing in bad weather does not slow the athletes and does not damage the field.”
Look, we know that these venues are trying to make themselves useful on some of the 355 days per year when they aren’t hosting NFL games, but why should the turf be picked based on whether it will mesh well with any game other than football?
Sportexe fields also are used by the 49ers, Jets, Bills, Saints, and Steelers. Given the late November 2007 debacle at Heinz Field, we don’t think Sportexe should be bragging about that one.