plaidflannel

January 1st, 2010 at 1:29 PM ^

This was the same field as the Champs Sports Bowl that was played earlier this week. The same field that tore up Graig Cooper's knee, which might cause him to miss next year too. I think it is ridiculous. If you're gonna have so many people use that field (high school, college, etc.) and you know you'll have to re-sod it during the year, you should replace it with Field Turf.

Joined: 07/21/2009

MGoPoints: 2028

Tater

January 1st, 2010 at 6:41 PM ^

One of the national guys on CBS radio talked about driving to the field to cover a game and getting his back windshield shot out while trying to find a place to park, and that he will never go there again. It's hard to believe they get two bowl games on this field. If they are going to have two bowls anywhere, Land Shark Stadium has its own freeway exit directly into the parking lot, and Raymond James is almost as centrally located as Orlando. Either would be better than what they currently have.

Joined: 08/13/2008

MGoPoints: 30584

jmblue

January 1st, 2010 at 1:31 PM ^

I think the natural-grass field is going the way of the dinosaur. Today's players are too heavy, and teams are playing too many games per season, for grass to have a chance to survive.

Joined: 11/07/2008

MGoPoints: 102715

Section 1

January 1st, 2010 at 2:17 PM ^

Tartan Turf. After the project to tear up the old carpet, and lower the field, the prescription grass was surprisingly bad; for people like me who remember the old grass, it was hard to understand. Very poorly executed. (As you may know, there is, or was, a natural aquifer flowing underneath Michigan Stadium. But the original grass field drained beautifully. The day that Ron Johnson ran for 347 yards was horrible -- lots of rain, then freezing rain and sleet. But traction was fine.)

Joined: 06/29/2009

MGoPoints: 16535

jmblue

January 1st, 2010 at 7:30 PM ^

In the 1960s, offensive linemen mostly weighed in the neighborhood of 225 pounds, and teams only played 5-6 home games a year. Today's players are much heavier (putting considerably more strain on the turf every time they plant) and play more games per season. It's not surprising that grass fields all over the place look like crap.

Joined: 11/07/2008

MGoPoints: 102715

Jinxed

January 1st, 2010 at 2:14 PM ^

It's not the muddy jerseys that's the problem.. It's the injury risks associated with having to run in a muddy field.. If your leg happens to get caught in a hole while you're running full speed, your knee can easily buckle, and you'll get to kiss your football career goodbye..

Joined: 09/15/2009

MGoPoints: 1993

will

January 1st, 2010 at 2:23 PM ^

The field is a mess, but it is negating the speed advantage LSU's WR's would have over the bigger PSU defense. I don't think I've fully transitioned to the new spread offense we run, I still like messy field and huge LB's pounding everything in sight. I would love to see Hart running behind Long on that field.. Man, I need a UM bowl again.. this isn't the right day for nostalgia..

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 2549

SysMark

January 1st, 2010 at 3:22 PM ^

Never seen anything like this in any sport. I know they got a lot of rain but that field must have very poor drainage, sod that hasn't rooted at all, or both.

Joined: 11/15/2008

MGoPoints: 21584

a.owda14

January 1st, 2010 at 5:06 PM ^

we wouldnt have this problem if they played some bowl games in the north, where we have cold turf. it makes me angry how all the bowl games are in the south. maybe the big 10 might win some bowls in the cold. the most northern bcs game is the rose bowl. thats ridiculous

Joined: 09/19/2009

MGoPoints: 32

Tater

January 1st, 2010 at 6:53 PM ^

I don't like the "road game" aspect for northern teams having to play their games in the south, but I'm not one of those who thinks the "frozen tundra" game is the be-all and end-all of what football is supposed to be. It isn't always fair to play the games in the south, but it is the right call. Bowl games are supposed to be a reward for a good season; I can't imagine playing a game in Jaunary in the Big House being seen as a "reward" for anything, especially for players who are two months removed from temps in the high 80's. A nice compromise, though, might be playing some better bowls in domed stadiums. It might be pretty cool to see a couple of those Big Ten/SEC or Big East/ACC matchups in places like Indy, Minnesota, Detroit, or Syracuse.

Joined: 08/13/2008

MGoPoints: 30584

Bando Calrissian

January 2nd, 2010 at 1:52 AM ^

That field was a chunky mess at the 2008 game, too. They beat the heck out of it with two bowl games and the other stuff they hold on it in the fall, but what doesn't help is the fact that the Capital One Bowl insists on having one of those elaborate pregame and halftime spectaculars with 8 million cheerleaders and a portable stage and pyrotechnics and such. Which alongside the band shows puts a pretty big strain on the surface. If you noticed, the biggest chunks of turf were behind the bowl logo, the area where the crap would have been parked (and moved on and off) for the shows so the press box shot would get the bowl logo and the stage in view. It wasn't just the players causing that chunking. Also, the comments about the Citrus Bowl being a dump are spot on. The neighborhood around it is pretty awful, and the stadium itself is a crumbly concrete shack. The concourses (at least in the end of the stadium I was in) were surfaced in wood chips. The bathrooms were in separate little mobile home deals underneath the bleachers. The whole thing made Ryan Field in Evanston look like the Taj Mahal. Total rinky-dink. My favorite moment of the entire Citrus Bowl experience came after the game. On the ends of the rows of bleachers there were these little Citrus Bowl logo medallions. My friend kind of stamped on the bleacher right above it, and we hear a clinking noise. the little medallion just fell right off onto the crumbling stairs. Looking at the ends of the rest of the rows, it's clear it was an endemic problem. Oh well, instant souvenir!

Joined: 07/02/2008

MGoPoints: 68096

M-Wolverine

January 2nd, 2010 at 11:41 AM ^

Actually, the times I've been there, I can agree with a lot you say. The neighborhood is shit, the field wrecked by all their Orange Bowl-lite stuff, and it's not in the best condition. But I never had the bathroom experience you did, or stuff falling on me. Maybe the SEC section has lower standards... ;-) However the team hotel and area around it are some of the best of any bowl, and that certainly makes up for the short drive to the ghetto.

Joined: 10/04/2009

MGoPoints: 42190

ndjames86

January 2nd, 2010 at 1:55 PM ^

would have been a huge improvement to that field. A muddy field is just slippery but the surface that this turf that hadn't taken presented was ridiculous. I feel terrible for the Miami player who tore up his knee. No one could cut on that field because as soon as they put too much pressure on a piece of turf it just rolled out from under their feet. You would expect better from an organization bringing in a ton of money from a bowl game.

Joined: 09/28/2009

MGoPoints: 221