Should Fedex Field upgrade and get Synthetic Turf

[HOF44]

That's the thing man.

Artificial turf technology and research is now producing a product that far removed from the rock hard version of the 80's it's unrecognizable. It's now about as close to natural grass as it's possible to get.

Hail.

I thought the black rubber based was the best tech right now. The fact this artificial turf is only 3% of the surface and the rest natural grass is appealing.

[MartinC]

That's the thing man.

Artificial turf technology and research is now producing a product that far removed from the rock hard version of the 80's it's unrecognizable. It's now about as close to natural grass as it's possible to get.

Hail.

I remember playing soccer at Deepdale on the 'plastic pitch' at PNE back in the late 80's. it was like concrete - mainly because it was concrete with a thin layer if sand on top and the artificial grass on top of that. Not fun for a goalkeeper.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

I have the complete opposite opinion - I would ban artificial turf and mandate grass. I'm not even keen on domes.

My learned friend does also advocate the leather helmets and mud ball games of his youth, but he's not figured a way to sell that to you all yet.

Hail.

[authentic]

That's the thing man.

Artificial turf technology and research is now producing a product that far removed from the rock hard version of the 80's it's unrecognizable. It's now about as close to natural grass as it's possible to get.

Hail.

i've ran around on the stuff a few times.. and it feels great!! very progressive technology, IMO.

[GoDeep81]

I'd look at the stats, and whatever produced the least amount of injuries is what I'd install at FedEx, IMMEDIATELY!!! We have got to get a handle on all these injuries year in and year out.. Bad luck is getting pretty old as an excuse.. The turf, the training staff, something needs to be addressed!! And yea, the FedEx sand trap looks like crap most games..

[STBonecrusher21]

Do people still think that "turf" is still produced the like the old Astrodome turf? Which was basically just carpet?

If we had the choice to do it, I'd be all for it.

[NLC1054]

I've been thinking this for a while. If we're going to continue to host college football teams and outdoor concerts, and field a fast football team, then I think moving to Field Turf would benefit us greatly.

I think the "I like seeing grass stains, grass is how we grew up" thing is kind of dumb. FedEx probably has one of the better grass fields in the league and it still isn't very good. It's still beaten up and torn up from when Kenny Chesney played there, plus the drought, plus the soccer game. I don't think teams go to Field Turf because they want to keep jerseys clean; I think they do it because aside from the annoying rubber pellets, it's just a better playing surface. It's weatherproof, easily repaired, you can field a faster team.

Plus RG3 is allergic to natural grass. Doesn't matter since he played on grass at Baylor, but still, every advantage counts, right?

Forget the "I love seeing grass stains and watching players get dirty". Screw that. Give me a fast football team that wins on Field Turf over grass stains and bad fields in November anyday.

[HOF44]

Do people still think that "turf" is still produced the like the old Astrodome turf? Which was basically just carpet?

If we had the choice to do it, I'd be all for it.

I knew it had progressed past that. I thought the rubber pellet based was the best now, but the stuff GHH is talking about seems light years ahead of that, practically natural grass as durable as the fake stuff.

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

I remember playing soccer at Deepdale on the 'plastic pitch' at PNE back in the late 80's. it was like concrete - mainly because it was concrete with a thin layer if sand on top and the artificial grass on top of that. Not fun for a goalkeeper.

Aw la. They put one in at our HS the mid-late '80's and it was horrid. The ball would bounce in every freaking direction, and me ma' got sick of the holes in me kecks through all the sliding tattles' we used to put in as we couldn't hold back even in a kick-around. Open sore burns from the artificial carpet were an occupational hazard for soccer crazy kids that just wanted to be kicking a ball around every chance they had.

I remember Jim Smith and QPR thinking they were serious challengers in '88 due to nobody being able to win on their plastic when they had like 6 or 7 of the first 10 at Loftus Road. Kind of capitulated when the away games on grass caught them up though.

But back to the thread at hand and 'proper' football.

Hail.

[Gart Monk]

Skins are historically bad at FEDEX Field so there's really nothing to lose by going to turf. FEDEX is also one of the worst fields for place kickers. I played on pellet-turf, its quite nice.

[IrepDC]

I prefer playing on turf. The games are much faster and cleaner. Not in the sense of dirt, but in the sense of not stumbling over patches etc. Actually, the only time I prefer grass is in the rain when it gets really nasty. Other than that, give me turf all day!

[The Slamming Butcher]

Pellet Turf looks terrible on television, especially under the lights. No thanks.

[MLSKINS]

This is the field I was talking about in my earlier post. It looks pretty good...

[pez]

Part of the deal is that the soil that is in Fedex Field is a very, very sandy soil. I have talked to a number of players who said that after they get used to it, that it is actually an advantage over other teams coming in and not expecting it.

[NattyBo]

Natural grass forever. I agree with the other poster, I don't even like that football is played indoors in some places...