LordOfEntropy

Question to the group.

The last I'd heard, management had (finally) installed FieldTurf in both the Dome and practice facility. Happened last season. The last I'd heard on that issue, players were saying Dome turf was far softer than practice facility turf. I'm assuming soft enough for routes and timing to be effected going from one field to the other.

Does anyone know a) if they're planning on staying with FieldTurf this year for both locations, and b) if these softness issues have been ironed out, i.e. that both surfaces have the same feel?

Have not researched, but figured someone on this board would know.

saintfan

Good question. Last I heard the folks that installed the turf in the Dome went bankrupt, and I haven\'t heard anything really beyond that. Now I don\'t know how field turf effects timing versus astro turf or real grass for that matter (other than tracktion with real grass). At this point I just wonder what the situation is with the playing surface at all.

o1higuy

I would imagine they will just have to get used to it. I\'m sure there was a huge difference in the old dome turf and the old practice field they used to use. Both are probably drastically different than what they used to play on. I think they will adjust quick. I know I have heard a lot of the kickers complain about this new field turf though.

LordOfEntropy

Wow, how do you manage to go bankrupt when you\'ve got an NFL contract selling and installing turf? Amazing.

Well, the turf should be paid for, so assuming the hardness issue has been resolved, I hope to see better timing this year, i.e. better passing - and even better, fewer injuries, and/or less intense injuries.

I\'ve said for years one of the reasons the Saints always disappoint is because of an abnormal rate of injury. To me, it always seemed the powerhouse teams, the ones that lasted as dynasties, played on grass. Perhaps now we stand a chance of remaining competitive throughout the season.

If anyone runs across more info regarding the turf this year, then please let me know.

can anyone help me id this tune? it goes thwap thwap boom tch boom tch boom tch.

Qui a laissez sortir les chiens!

SaintNik

I walked the feild the week after the new turf was installed. Let me describe it this way. The new turf is like new plush pile carpet with thick padding that gives under your feet at each step. The old turf was like indoor/outdoor carpet laid out over a concrete slab with no padding underneath. There was zero shock absorbing to it. It is easy to understand why the players like the new stuff as it reduces the wear and tear of the body.

The turf was installed and played on by the Saints for their last few home games, the high school state championship games, the N.O. Bowl and of course, the Sugar Bowl. It was removed and stored as other dome events would destroy it. The cost to remove, store, then place it back down, was to be about half the cost of buying it new again. It was thought that it could be removed and stored a couple times at best before having to replace it. One would have to assume that it will be placed back down at least once more. As far as the soft/hard adjustment of it goes, that was supposed to be adjustable.

During the late 90s (Ditkahead era), the team experimented with REAL grass. It was pretty neat to see players uniforms with grass stains on them and chunks of grass/dirt in facemasks. It was said that the real grass could be removed, laid out in a feild to keep alive, and placed back down in the dome again, repeating this cycle over and over. The cost per year to do so would have been slightly higher than to put the feild turf down.

Just Chillin Checking Out The B&G Forum While Waiting For My Ship To Come In

http://img51.exs.cx/img51/4387/Santa_on_raft.jpg

SaintNik

MOMENTUM TURF! There is an article by the associated press posted on ESPN that answers it all. You can view it at: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1803366

[Edited on 18/5/2004 by SaintNik]