Thread: Mayor Chimes in After Family Fest Debacle....

Bears will remain a grass act

By Sean Jensen sjensen@suntimes.com August 8, 2011 8:24PM
Chicago Bears chairman George McCaskey smiles as he speaks at a news conference at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill., Tuesday, July 26, 2011., after the NFL Players Association executive board and 32 team reps voted unanimously Monday to approve the terms of a deal with owners to the end the 41/2-month lockout. Now that an agreement is in place, it's time for the Chicago Bears to get to work. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)




Updated: August 9, 2011 2:34PM

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. — Bears chairman George McCaskey said the team would take a more proactive approach in monitoring the turf conditions at Soldier Field but added that the organization remains committed to a grass surface. McCaskey said the Bears are constantly evaluating the playing surface but still firmly believe that grass is best for the team.

“Our primary concern is player safety,” McCaskey said. “We want to prolong careers. We want our guys to be available on a week-to-week basis. “The evaluation is ongoing. Every year we take a look at it. Our considered opinion is that right now the best surface for our team, primarily considering player safety, is a natural-grass field.”

To that end, though, McCaskey said team officials would take more of the initiative at Soldier Field. “The [Chicago] Park District has already said that it was a miscalculation on their part, that they need to do a better job, and we need to do a better job, take an active role in monitoring their treatment of the field,” he said. “It needs to be a collaborative effort. And we’re confident it’s going to be.”
McCaskey insisted that he’s not concerned about the preseason opener Saturday at Soldier Field against the Buffalo Bills. He said he visited the stadium Sunday and didn’t have any concerns

Any else see the potential for a little "Come to Jesus" meeting between "His Honor the Mayor" and George McCaskey coming up in the near future? The Bears remain committed to a grass surface yet it's the taxpayers who pay the bill for it's upkeep and replacement and the city that gets a black eye PR wise when it comes apart late in the season. Seems to me that the Bears even have a little part in this fiasco themselves.

Didn't the stadium GM say that the reason they underwatered was due to the fact that the Bears asked for firmer footing that more watering would have prevented? I would say that if the Bears prefer to keep the surface as is that the city make them 100% responsible for its upkeep and repair. Let the Bears hire a fulltime groundskeeping pro with nothing else to do but make certain that field stays in tip top condition for the entire season. Like Rahm Emanuel said; "it's not time for blame, it's time for solutions".

Interesting to note that the Pats made a conversion to an artificial or hybrid surface in 2006 in just 11 days. Seems it might not have to wait until next year if someone like Mayor Emanuel steps in and declares that he will require it because he sees it as a benefit to the taxpayers who pay for it. If that's the case it could be done while the Bears are playing out of town for week or two.


Bears not budging on Soldier Field turf

August, 8, 2011Aug 8
3:39
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By Kevin Seifert


BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- On Saturday, we broached the idea of converting Soldier Field's playing field to an artificial surface. On Monday, Bears chairman George McCaskey made clear that it ain't happening -- at least not anytime soon.

Speaking to reporters here at Bears training camp, McCaskey pledged to take a more active role in monitoring the condition of the grass field. But you're going to be disappointed if you thought that the cancellation of last Friday's Family Night practice would spur a more dramatic reaction.

"Our primary concern is player safety," McCaskey said. "We want to prolong careers. We want our guys to be available on a week-to-week basis. The evaluation is ongoing. Every year we take a look at it. Our considered opinion is that right now, the best surface for our team, primarily considering player safety, is a natural grass field."

In a vacuum, that is always the case. Most players would tell you the same thing, even though middle linebacker Brian Urlacher has been publicly advocating for a conversion all summer. The real question is whether sub-par grass is safer than artificial turf.

In 2006, the New England Patriots opted for an emergency conversion that took 11 days at Gillette Stadium. The Bears, on the other hand, are passing on that option and instead will take efforts to improve. "The [Chicago] Park District has already said it was a miscalculation on their part and they need to do a better job. And we have to do a better job of monitoring their treatment of the field. It needs to be a collaborative effort and we're confident that it will be."

Is it reasonable to think the Bears can suddenly make substantive efforts to maintain the field better? We're about to find out.

LOL ( roll my eyes ) LOL ..... it's GRASS for cripes sake it needs H2o. Once again the Bears make something that's not complicated ... complicated. Proven solutions exist.

Originally Posted by Blue Horse-shoe

LOL ( roll my eyes ) LOL ..... it's GRASS for cripes sake it needs H2o. Once again the Bears make something that's not complicated ... complicated. Proven solutions exist.

Some of the responsibilty for the lack of water lays at the Bears feet. The SF GM claims that they watered less because the Bears like a firm field and overwatering makes it less so. They were either walking too fine a line here or the communication between parties sucked.

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

That's a BS excuse. There was a Soccer game on that field just a few weeks before and it was reported that the field was laughable at that time. Even if they want a "firm field" then water it the day before, several days before, and then let it dry out over night and during the day. You don't have the seems coming up b/c of one or two days of not watering.

That being the case if the Bears want to keep playing on grass then they need to hire their own professional groundskeepers and give them a mandate to keep the field in perfect shape. If that means the CPD can schedule fewer events fine. Let the Bears make up the revenue losses with higher rent. When the cost of insisting on a grass playing surface gets too expensive maybe George McCaskey will change his tune.

If I was the mayor of Chicago that's the position I'd take. Either you let us cut our costs by putting in a surface that will hold up to it's use or you take 100% of the responsibility for it's upkeep and replacement including any revenues lost by using it less prior to and during the football season. There's an old saying that goes; "when you got 'em by the balls there hearts and minds will follow" and I think it's about time the city put that one in play.

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

That's a BS excuse. There was a Soccer game on that field just a few weeks before and it was reported that the field was laughable at that time. Even if they want a "firm field" then water it the day before, several days before, and then let it dry out over night and during the day. You don't have the seems coming up b/c of one or two days of not watering.

You took the words right outta my mouth. It's deflection nothing more. They've had an entire summer to water , seed , and over-seed and there haven't been that many events.... yet, it looks like my lazy neighbor's yard. Guess they want to make money but put none of that money back into the field. The gaps makes it look like it was put in by blind men. Another ridiculous year from the Chi Pk District. Great work boys.