Thread: Mc's defend..seriously.Soldier field turf

yeah it's not the type of grass/sod... it's the fact that by the time the bears get to used it, it's been Trampled by high school football teams, concerts, ect...

Even so, the play on the field destroys it over time, regardless of resodding. If we want a fast team, we should allow them to be fast. Hopefully we play in a dome in the playoffs...

This whole time it was painted that the park commission, or whoever the hell it is, was unwilling to change it. If the owner(s) want it the way it is, despite rather vocal criticisms of it by players like Urlacher, they're ***** stupid. This is another reason why I'd like them to play in a Cowboys-like dome....

SCREW DOMES!!!! this is Bear country and we play OUTSIDE. NO QUESTIONS.

Green Bay uses real grass... only they litterally SOW that shit down, and don't open it up to every Tom, Dick, and Harry that wants to use it...

either make it exlusively a park district field and let the Bears build their OWN stadium... or find some other place to have highschool games and concerts. Chicago's a pretty big city... I imagine they could improvise if they had to.....

George, just get the Park District to do this and they can solve the problem of it's condition and don't have to re-sod. Jeezuz when a solution exists why are all of you who are involved so uninformed or pigheaded? According to this there are 4 stadiums in temperate climes who use this surface. All of these cities are in locations where grass becomes dormant in December. Get with it will ya'?

Packers going to DD Grassmaster System at Lambeau

16 Dec, 2006Athletic Turf News




Untitled Document
The Lambeau Field playing surface, home field for the NFL Green Bay Packers, will undergo a makeover in the offseason that will bring the latest technology to the hallowed ground and make future in-season re-odding unnecessary.
When Athletic Turf news took the Lambeau Field tour in Sept. the field looked great. In a project that will take several months to complete, DD GrassMaster, a natural grass surface reinforced with man-made fibers developed by Desso DLW Sports Systems, will be installed on top of a completely new drainage and heating system. The new surface and underlying systems represent the latest developments in field management.

The new grass surface won't be entirely new for the players, though. It is identical to the surface on the team's Clarke Hinkle Field. That surface, installed prior to 2005 training camp, has garnered rave reviews from the players in its two seasons of use.

"We feel we need to have the best natural grass field possible," said Ted Thompson, the Packers' Executive Vice President and General Manager. "We're confident this will serve historic Lambeau Field well. It's grass, so that remains true to the spirit of our stadium; players will get dirty and have grass stains, that kind of thing. It's worked very well the last two seasons on Hinkle Field."

According to the Packers' field manager, Allen Johnson, the Packers have been following the evolution of the relatively new system for several years, going back to its development on European soccer fields.
Even though the Packers haven't been a good team in recent years, people still pay good money to visit the first stadium built for pro football. "We've had great success on Hinkle Field with the GrassMaster surface," said Johnson. "So we've been considering it seriously for Lambeau Field for about a year. Ted compared Lambeau Field and Hinkle Field last spring after several days of rain and it was a stark contrast. Lambeau was still soaked and wet and Hinkle was dry and firm. That final bit of first-hand experience set the wheels in motion."
DD GrassMaster's advantage mainly is attributed to the sand-based soil, which allows superior drainage and softer, more consistent footing over the current clay-based field. Because a sand-based root zone has less stability, the system employs the use of millions of strands of polyethylene and polypropylene materials eight inches below the surface with one inch exposed on the top. This gives the field firm footing and eliminates clumps of sod tearing from the surface. Furthermore, even after a full season's wear late in the year, the footing remains excellent due to the soil-strengthening strands.
In addition to the success the Packers have experienced with the surface on Clarke Hinkle Field, the team can look to the Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers for endorsement of the product as each of those clubs use the surface in their stadiums. In fact, the Packers have seen firsthand the quality footing at late-season games at the Eagles' Lincoln Financial Field each of the last three years.
Lawn care business owner Tim Doppel from Michigan. The statue? That's Vince LombardiThe project will commence upon the conclusion of the season and begin with removing all current levels of the field. The first layers will consist of a clay base with drain tile and irrigation piping. The second level consists of four inches of gravel with 30-plus miles of tubing for the heating system. The third level is made of 12 inches of sand and the top level consists of the sod with its reinforcing fibers.

Depending on the weather's effect on the first stages of the process, the sod will be placed in late April or early May. After the roots are firmly established, by late July, the fibers will be stitched in place.
Due to the enhanced drainage capabilities, fans at Lambeau will notice no perceptible crown on the field. A slight slope will exist, about a half-degree decline, to assist with water and snow removal when the field is covered with a tarp.

Also included in the project will be a new service path encircling the field. Gone will be the cement, replaced with a rubberized surface, similar to the one adjacent to the Hutson Center on the side of Clarke Hinkle Field. The new path still will allow for equipment use, but be safer for players that run far out of bounds.