Steelers Keep Natural Grass at Heinz Field

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL

The Pittsburgh Steelers have decided to stick with the crappy natural grass at Heinz Field. For some strange reason, most of the players and coaches liked playing in the slop. So the organization decided to keep the grass for another season despite it clearly being the worst playing surface in the NFL.

This is an incredibly bad decision in my opinion. It might be one thing if the Steelers were the only team to play on Heinz Field, but that most certainly is not the case. The Pittsburgh Panthers play all of their home games at Heinz Field. And there are at least five high school championship games played there each year. There are top-notch, state-of-the-art playing surfaces (like FieldTurf’s new DuraSpine Monofilament Turf System) available and the Steelers want to play in mud? Go figure. FieldTurf spent years on R&D with hundreds of tests. It’s an artificial turf unlike any other. It looks like grass, feels like grass and plays like grass. It delivers unmatched durability — especially a resistance to wear, which is exactly the main problem at Heinz Field. I know I’m sounding like a commercial for FieldTurf, but just look at the science. Tests indicate that the DuraSpine MF fiber is far more resistant to UV damage and foot traffic, the two main enemies of any turf system. And it’s not abrasive at all. In fact, it’s been described as silky and lush, just like mother nature intended. So, what’s the problem?

Hey, I like the old school approach for some things, but when it comes to the most important element in a football game — the field — why would you not provide the best possible conditions for your players? Why not take advantage of the progress that has been made in this very specific area? I mean, would the Steelers wear helmets and shoulder pads from the 70s? I don’t think so. They should treat their field the same way.