The 49ers have had repeated issues with the quality of the sod at Levi’s Field. On Sunday, the NFL’s first stint as the caretaker of the gridiron at Santa Clara encountered difficulties, too.
“The footing on the field was terrible,” Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib said, via the Associated Press. “San Fran has to play eight games on that field so they better do something to get it fixed. It was terrible.”
Talib apparently hasn’t been paying attention to the home team’s troubles with the turf. Because the troubles have been persistent for the team. The league has had troubles, too. And now the 49ers get the turf back, indefinitely.
Not everyone complained about the field, including the guy who won the game’s MVP award.
“I had to change my cleats,” Broncos linebacker Von Miller said. “It was a great field. We came out here [Saturday] and it was fast. As the game went on, I just needed a little more support. I was able to get the detachable [spikes] and real quick change them.”
Players from both teams seemed to slip on the field. Panthers coach Ron Rivera, however, went out of his way to say the field wasn’t a problem.
“We didn’t have any issues with the field,” Rivera said, via the Associated Press. “Both teams played on the same field. As far as I’m concerned, for me to be able to blame the field is kind of a cop out. The truth of the matter is we both played on the surface. The surface was outstanding.”
Outstanding is an overstatement, but Rivera surely wants to say nothing that would create the impression he is making excuses for the outcome of the game. His refusal to make excuses provides the league with an excuse it doesn’t merit, because the field wasn’t nearly as good as it should have been, raising yet again the question of why the NFL fails far too often to ensure that players get the absolute best and safest surfaces.