New Field and Endzone Styling

Submitted by biakabutuka4ever on

So with the new turf being installed in the Big House, something that has been bothering me for awhile came back up in my mind.  I have always liked endzones that are fully colored with the teams colors and I've always hoped the would be done at home. 

Currently, we just "Michigan" written in the endzone with the background being grass.  I've always preferred how its done at the bowl games with "Michigan" written in maize with a blue background.  For example:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wcouch/2172539027/

I am hoping they will make the change this time around.  But I'm not optimistic.  Anybody else feel the same way?

jmblue

June 22nd, 2010 at 1:47 PM ^

How quickly we forget the fiasco of a field we had from 1991-2002.  Trying to grow natural grass in Michigan Stadium, in an age of 300-pound linemen, 7-8 home games a season, with our cold late-fall climate, and with the water table so close to the surface, is a losing proposition. 

jmblue

June 22nd, 2010 at 3:10 PM ^

We spent twelve years and a large sum of money asking turf guys to get it done.  They couldn't.  At Michigan Stadium, we not only have the climate issue (and the fundamental problem of very large, heavy men chewing up grass with their cleats), but our field is also below ground, in a part of Ann Arbor where the water table is close to the surface.  And after we lowered the field by three feet (to improve sightlines), we brought it even closer.  Trying to grow grass there is a lost cause. 

Section 1

June 22nd, 2010 at 4:16 PM ^

Before Bo's carpet, then the lowering of the field and the return to grass, and then the field-turf.

The original grass was so sweet.  However they did it (I don't know, I was a kid); it worked great.  The field drained beautifully, the grass was solid, it was great.  (Just ask Ron Johnson, about his 347 yards on a field that saw about six hours of rain that day.)

I was shocked and horrified by how lousy the second-generation grass was, before we went to the field turf surfacing.  Whoever was responsible, should have been sued.

jmblue

June 22nd, 2010 at 4:33 PM ^

In the 1960s, offensive linemen weighed like 220.  Part of the problem - and we're seeing it all over the country - is that grass just isn't designed for 300+ pound men to rip into it.  And teams are playing more home games now, which adds to the stress.  Even down South, on rainy days the fields become massively chewed up. 

Section 1

June 22nd, 2010 at 5:03 PM ^

Qualcom Field

LA Coliseum

Rose Bowl

Too many others to  mention.  They all handle very big, very fast, players just fine.

jmblue

June 22nd, 2010 at 6:18 PM ^

How much rainfall does Southern California get during the fall?  It's when it rains that fields especially get chewed up.  In a warm climate, the grass can regrow.  In the North, from midseason on it doesn't.  I would venture to guess, as well, that those three fields are not located very close to the water table, as ours is. 

jmblue

June 22nd, 2010 at 6:36 PM ^

Don't be obtuse.  I never said it was the only factor.  The combination of players being much heavier than before, the team playing more home games than before, and the field being lowered to improve sightlines, all make it considerably harder to maintain a stable grass field now than 40 years ago.  Throw in the fact that we're in a Northern clime and have water-table issues, and it's a lost cause.

acnumber1

June 21st, 2010 at 10:45 PM ^

Looks great for bowl games, prefer the grass  background for the home field.  Love the checkerboard at Tennessee, but couldn't swallow 'borrowing' that in maize and blue.  Something new, cool and original I'm open to, but the bowl game thing is the bowl game thing.

 

Edit: omitted a stray period.

Jeremy

June 21st, 2010 at 11:39 PM ^

So something like this?

 

 

I could go for that... maybe... i think the way it has been is fine... but a change like that wouldnt be bad i guess...

XxNoRemorsExX

June 22nd, 2010 at 7:51 AM ^

Actually, I would like to see the block M be a little bigger.  I was watching the LSU spring game on ESPN U and their tiger eye logo at midfield is huge.  It'd me just a more attention grabbing way of saying you're playing in the "Big House".

DoctorDave

June 22nd, 2010 at 9:48 AM ^

...am I the only one who thinks the block M created by the MMB looks "scrunched"? Instead of the legs of the "M" being positioned between the 40 - 45 yard lines, it would look better if they were between the 35 - 40 yard lines.

P.S. Dear Michigan Tradition-Tamperer-Hating Gods: For atonement, I will offer ten hen's teeth pounds of rocking horse manure virgin OSU cheerleaders.

Bocheezu

June 21st, 2010 at 11:37 PM ^

I always found it strange that a team so predicated on the color blue, from its jerseys, cheers, and overall theme, can have a field almost completely devoid of it.  I'm not saying turn it into a navy blue Boise St. field.  But damn, it could really use a little more blue.

XxNoRemorsExX

June 22nd, 2010 at 1:24 PM ^

I believe it's Eastern Washington University that will have a RED field this year or next.  Saw a conceptual image.  Yikes, not good.  I think it would be terrible difficult to watch on TV.  Even more so than Boise.

Mr. Robot

June 22nd, 2010 at 12:14 AM ^

I will admit, I also really like the filled in endzones that come up for bowl games, but to me, the endzone design for Michigan Stadium is special, and I would prefer it stay that way. Its one of those pieces of our tradition that isn't broken, so don't fix it.

I'm content letting the awesome endzone be the reward for a season well done.

Shaqsquatch

June 22nd, 2010 at 1:40 AM ^

for the new endzones:

Now if only we can find a way to incorporate Maize Jerseys....

Although if we were in all seriousness to do something new and exciting, my vote would be for a blue background with tiled maize block Ms, similar to what they use in press conferences for a background sometimes.

EDIT: something like this  but with a lot more organization to it.

Victor70

June 22nd, 2010 at 1:37 AM ^

I always thought the M in the midfield should be larger with the split block version that says MICHIGAN in blue across the M.  I like the Endzones in the full field disply, but I kinda like them the way they are now too.  Neither the end zone or the M are big deals as far as tradition to me, not anymore than the press box was and thats gone.  We could just have a more modern look now.