Butkus Chimes in on Soldier Field Turf, HGH, and Bubba Smith...

Butkus tackles Soldier Field turf, HGH testing


http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/...0-11142618.jpg Dick Butkus prefers grass fields over artificial turf. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Tribune Photo)

By Fred Mitchell Tribune reporter 4:26 p.m. CDT, August 11, 2011


Dick Butkus is renowned for being one of the most violent and aggressive players in NFL history. Yet the former Bears Hall of Fame middle linebacker is a prominent advocate for health and safety on and off the football field.

Butkus weighed in on a variety of provocative topics Thursday during an interview with the Tribune, including the new NFL game-day random tests for illegal supplements, the balky turf issues at Soldier Field and the recent death of fellow NFL star and acting colleague Bubba Smith.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/...118-187105.jpg Story: Soldier Field grass has been unstable for long time


As a first-round draft pick out of Illinois, Butkus began his pro career in 1965, when the Bears played at Wrigley Field. Then came the move to Soldier Field.

“In 1971 we moved in there and they had AstroTurf down there, which was like playing on concrete,” Butkus said via phone from Los Angeles. “It wasn’t as advanced as it is today.”

Butkus remains incredulous about the ongoing problems with the Soldier Field natural grass, which caused last Friday night’s practice to be cancelled.

“I don’t know if it is the moisture or what, but why don’t they get that guy (George Toma) from Kansas City, and get someone in there and grow grass the right way,” said Butkus. “I was talking to somebody at the Hall of Fame (in Canton, Ohio last weekend) and he said he was on the field (last Friday) and he couldn’t believe how bad it was.

“To me, you’re a pro. You should be able to play on a parking lot or in a prairie somewhere. But of course nowadays everybody has to have it picture-perfect. And I just don’t understand why either the (Chicago) Park District or the Bears can’t seem to find someone who knows how to grow grass. Geez … I think it’s ridiculous. At this stage of time, that a stadium has trouble with turf … come on now. What’s with that?

“I liked (playing on) the grass. It gives a little bit and I think it’s much safer. Over the course of time and the pounding … if you have an injury, it just seems like AstroTurf just compounds it all the more. That’s just my personal experience with it. We played in Houston (at the AstroDome) and that was like playing on concrete. I thought it was great, but I was healthy then. But as soon as I had knee problems, it was torture.”

Butkus was in Los Angeles with EAS Sports Nutrition to talk about safe, clean sports supplements and the EAS 100 percent certification. His organization, “I Play Clean,” has partnered with EAS Sports Nutrition to raise awareness among athletes.

Regarding the NFL’s recent decision to randomly test players throughout the season, Butkus said: “I think it’s good. Steroids … I guess they are able to mix them now. HGH, there is so much more that we have found out about it and that it causes cancer. And there are some who speculate that it actually lowers your strength instead of raising your strength. So I think it is a good move by the NFL. I think they are doing these guys a favor by helping them out with their health. We are trying to nip that in the bud with high schoolers.”

Butkus and Smith were pioneers when it came to athletes appearing in beer commercials on television. Smith died Aug. 3 in Los Angeles at the age of 66.

“We had 14 years with Miller (Lite Beer) and another three or four working on some (TV) series work. We got to know each other and spend a lot of time together,” Butkus said. “When you work on a series, you are with someone for a long time. I’ve got to tell you, I was shocked about (Smith’s death). Just a week or so before, someone brought up his name about something we had done. But we had so much fun doing those Miller spots. That led to me actually coming out here (to Hollywood) and getting into acting a little bit.”

Butkus said he was planning to attend Smith’s funeral Thursday afternoon.

“We had some scripts that we worked on that were that close to getting made (into movies or TV series). We had a good run at it,” said Butkus, who appeared with Smith in the TV series “Blue Thunder.”

“We were able to be on a number of series and we had a good thing going. We worked very well together. I knew of him playing-wise, but never had that much contact until the commercials brought us together. We both were not afraid to be the fall guy and let the other guy have the punch line. It didn’t bother us at all. I just thought he had the looks and I could react off of that.”

fmitchell@tribune.com

Twitter @kicker34


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Soldier Field grass has been unstable for long time

Bears need to switch to consistent surface to bolster style of play



Matt Bowen Scouting the Bears 11:19 p.m. CDT, August 11, 2011


Three pairs of cleats. A speed bottom, a baseball style cleat and the old school seven-studs. That's what I packed in my bag for trips to Soldier Field to play the Bears during my NFL career.

Take the first bus to the stadium, get out early for warmups and test the field. When you play in Chicago — at any point during the season — the grass is suspect.


Matt Bowen http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/...9-15143635.jpg

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    Even in September, players slip and clumps of grass erupt from the field when you come out of your breaks. In late November, early December? The worst surface you will find in the NFL.
    
    And I always went with the seven-studs (complete with 5/8 inch screw-ins) just to give me a chance to stay on my feet.
    
    If there is one-thing players will tell you in this league, it is it all comes down to footwork. You have to trust your ability to plant and drive as a defender, run through your cuts as a wide receiver and step into your throws as a quarterback.
    
    However, when doubt creeps into your mind before kickoff, and you have to adjust the way you play because of the grass, it doesn't meet NFL standards.
    
    Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher has been vocal with his opinions of Soldier Field and if you are listening from his perspective, it points directly at the makeup of this football team.
    
    Lovie Smith is a Cover-2 coach. A defense that relies on speed, change of direction and players that drive downhill to the football. Read the quarterback and pursue to the football.
    
    Move over to the offense and Mike Martz. The route schemes the Bears run are specific to depth, speed and the ability of players such as Devin Hester to get in and out of their cuts. When a receiver slips, or is even slow coming back to the ball, the entire play is a wash for quarterback Jay Cutler.
    
    Would FieldTurf improve the product we see on the field in Chicago? Without a doubt.
    
    FieldTurf isn't the best alternative to natural grass. I will admit that. You will experience more soreness in your hips and knees on Monday mornings because we are still talking about artificial turf.
    
    But the grass the Bears are playing on doesn't rival most suburban Chicago high school fields on Friday nights. That's a problem.
    
    And for all of the talk "on player safety," I've seen plenty of guys go down with bad injuries when the grass came up from under their feet.
    
    The solution? Make the change to FieldTurf, rip up the grass before it is dead at mid-season, and put the Bears in the best position to win.
    
    After playing at Glenbard West and Iowa, Matt Bowen spent seven seasons in the NFL as a strong safety with the Rams, Packers, Redskins and Bills, including playing for Lovie Smith and Mike Martz in St. Louis. When he's not writing for the Tribune, you can find his work at nationalfootballpost.com
    

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You really can't argue with what he says. He's played on the field often enough and over a period of years. When he says that it doesn't even rival some HS fields I guess being a Glenbard West alumnus he knows what he's talking about there as well.

I can't believe that with all the negative press that something won't be done and soon. Either they find a way to grow and maintain a really good grass field or they shift to an alternative. If the CPD and the Bears won't then I think the NFL should force the issue. You can't tell me that playing on that "sand lot grass field" is any less safe than FieldTurf!

And Field Turf was installed for the Pats in 9 days. If it's gonna remain a high use stadium they need a high use surface. There's some back room bs going on with this situation.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Blue Horse-shoe

And Field Turf was installed for the Pats in 9 days. If it's gonna remain a high use stadium they need a high use surface. There's some back room bs going on with this situation.

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There's an article and photo on the Official Site about is saying and showing what great condition it's in. I want to see what it looks like after the game. I've had parties at my place where the place didn't look anything like it did on the night before on the morning after, LOL.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by soulman

There's an article and photo on the Official Site about is saying and showing what great condition it's in. I want to see what it looks like after the game. I've had parties at my place where the place didn't look anything like it did on the night before on the morning after, LOL.

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I'm sure the 5/8 inch screw-ins are real good for this field (not !) but that's what most guys will probably use knowing the field they're playing on. I've worn em. 22 ( 200-300lb ) guys wearing them ..... brutal, but this is what they get when the field is like this. Ah well grin and bear it. I'm tired of this topic, I'm just gonna enjoy the season.

670 the score pointed out that shortly after they went from artifical surface to natural grass the dolphins were up here for a pre season game and asked that their reg season game be moved to Miami b/c it was so bad; this is like 20 years worth of crap surface, it's just seems to be getting worse then it ever used to be.

OK one last weigh in on this topic ...... were they playing on ICE last night ? Just wondering cuz both teams were slipping all over the place. This isn't even funny anymore it's just plain disgusting.

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Soldier Field holds up under wet conditions

August, 14, 2011Aug 14
12:02
AM CT

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By Michael C. Wright


CHICAGO -- Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher once called it a joke.

Perhaps that's why quarterback Jay Cutler laughed after the team's preseason-opening win over the Bills once questions were asked about the turf at Soldier Field, which was saturated by rains throughout much of the night.

"It was, I don't know. It is what it is," Cutler said, laughing. "I don't think it's going to change so we're just going to play on it."

Cutler jokingly poked fun at the field in the postgame press conference, but it seemed to get decent reviews from the players in the aftermath of the game.

Often criticized over the years by the Bears and players around the league, the surface at Soldier Field became a concern recently after the team was forced to cancel the practice part of its annual "Family Fest" because of field conditions.

Soldier Field general manager Tim LeFevour explained then that the problem arose when the grounds crew didn't apply enough water to the natural grass field, which they like to keep dry and hard to help the Bears take advantage of their team speed.

Heavy rains pelted the area much of Saturday, resulting in groundskeepers keeping the field covered with a tarp until approximately 5:30 p.m. Reviews seemed to be positive, despite the rain.

Receiver Roy Williams said the "field wasn't bad at all" during the first half, adding that he's "looking forward to November, December to see how it really is. But today it wasn't bad."

Fellow receiver Johnny Knox agreed. The turf held together well enough for Knox to return a kickoff 70 yards in the first quarter.

Earlier in the week Bears president Ted Phillips said he had been in contact with the Bills and the NFL about the condition of the field, and that both were assured the surface would be in top shape.

"It was pretty good," Knox said. "I didn't get a chance to see it when we didn't practice [during Family Fest], but it felt pretty good out there."

The got a game out of it but I still saw huge chunks of sod laying around loose as the game progressed. I guess the best way to describe it is that it went from unplayable to passable. At least they didn't have to cancel the game this week, LOL.